Highways England has announced that it has pledged to invest £114 million into improvements in the roads, pavements, and bridges.
Highways England has announced that it has pledged to invest £114 million into improvements in the roads, pavements, and bridges in the East of England over the next 12 months.
There will be upgrades to motorways and major A roads as part of the extensive package of improvements, including the M1, A14, A1, A47 and A12. The planned works will include road resurfacing, replacement of bridge joints, the creation of new and additional cycle lanes, updated and improved signage, and landscaping across the region, according to a press release.
There will be a total of 150 road improvement schemes undertaken by Highways England in the next year, covering Norfolk, Sussex, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Buckinghamshire.
Martin Fellows, Highways England’s regional director for the East of England stated that maintaining and keeping the region’s roads in good condition remains essential for ensuring safety and making sure the roads are reliable for drivers.
“This multi-million-pound investment will help keep journeys on our motorways and A-roads flowing and reduce the risk of unplanned, disruptive maintenance. Over the next 12 months, we’ll be working hard to ensure drivers throughout the East enjoy a smoother experience while travelling on our roads,” he said.
The comprehensive maintenance programme from Highways England is due to commence in the next few months, and the initial schemes include:
A14 Brickfield bridge – The replacement of the existing bridge joint bearings, undertaking of concrete repairs to the structure, resurfacing the road, as well as renewing the road markings.
M11 Junction 11 Mill bridge – The replacement of four existing bridge joints, re-waterproofing of the bridge deck, and repainting of the bridge bearings.
A14 Junction 32 Histon – Renewal of the road markings, and studs where road resurfacing has taken place.
M11 River Granta bridge – The replacement of two existing bridge joints, plus re-waterproofing of the bridge deck, and road resurfacing.
The £114 million investment into the region’s roads comes after a £60 million investment in 2019 into an essential highway maintenance program which saw the completion of 140 road renewal and essential maintenance projects.
Highways England laid over 35,000 tonnes of surfacing material, ‘the equivalent of 175 blue whales’, which equates to 43 miles of newly resurfaced road, and installed more than 50,000 road studs across the East of England, as part of the 2019 programme.
Other improvements that were included in the works were:
- More than 80 traffic signs installed
- 17 junctions improved
- 16 new bridge joints installed
- 2.7 miles of cycle lane improvements.
Highways England says that the upcoming programmes of work and improvements are not expected to have a major impact on commuters during the construction, but advised that some of the intended works may involve lane closures, overnight closures, or road closures.
Drivers are advised to keep track of the works and any intended closures and disruptions via the Highways England website.
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