The government has this morning confirmed that a more than £8 billion pool of funds, set to be used for HS2, has been redirected, and will now be used to improve the road network.
The UK Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, confirmed the news this morning and set out the 11-year plan that could renew up to 5,000 miles of the road network.
Local authorities in England will now receive £150 million this year, with another £150 million in 2024 and 2025, and the remainder being allocated through to 2034.
Each authority can use the money to first identify the roads that are in need of repair, before delivering the improvements. The scheme is part of the government’s Network North transport plan, and as such, it is the North of England that will see the largest slice of the cake. The North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber will have £3.3 billion to use, the East and West Midlands will get £2.2 billion, while the East of England, South East, South West and London will get £2.8 billion to spend.
Speaking about the news, Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:
“Most people travel by road and potholes can cause misery for motorists, from expensive vehicle repairs to bumpy, slow and dangerous journeys.
“Our £8.3 billion boost to repair roads across the country shows that we’re on the side of drivers.
“Today’s biggest-ever funding uplift for local road improvements is a victory for all road users, who will enjoy smoother, faster and safer trips – as we use redirected HS2 funding to make the right long-term decisions for a brighter future.”
