However, motorists will want to know such multi-billion pound projects have been fully budgeted for if they are to believe that they will become a reality, rather than just an empty promise.
Simon Williams, an RAC spokesman, said: "The provision for new expressway schemes has the potential to transform some of the country’s most congested and frustrating roads. Other schemes include the A38 from Exeter to Camborne in Cornwall the A27 along the south coast of England the A3 south of Guildford in Surrey and the A2 through south east London to Kent. The first routes are likely to be the A303 and the A30 from the junction with the M3 in Hampshire to Exeter in Devon the A1 north of Newcastle the A14 from Huntingdon to Cambridge the A556 between the M56 and M6 in Cheshire and the A46 between the A1 and M1 in the East Midlands. It follows a continental blueprint with the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Italy and Bulgaria already having similar roads. Junctions will be modernised with roundabouts and traffic lights removed and emergency refuge and maintenance areas provided. It is possible that bicycles and slow-moving vehicles such as tractors will be excluded from these new roads, too.Īdvanced technology will be used to detect and help clear incidents more quickly and get traffic moving as part of the £11 billion investment.Īccording to The Times, 18 major routes are initially set to become expressways, with a further seven projects being considered.
Traffic light mini motorways upgrade#
Highways England, which replaces the Highways Agency from April 1, will upgrade key A-roads into the new classification of road to sit between an A-road and a motorway. Major A-roads in England will be turned into "mini motorways" as part of a European-style expressway project.