The development work, to be carried out over the next three years, is designed to keep continuity of the Highways Agency’s pipeline of major infrastructure improvements. By working up the proposals now, they will be available for selection after 2015. There is no guarantee when, or even if, they will actually go ahead, however.
The six schemes are:
- M4 Junctions 3-12 managed motorway scheme; Thames Valley
- M25 Junction 30 / A13 congestion relief scheme, Thurrock;
- A19/A1058 Coast Road Junction improvement; North Tyneside
- A21 Tonbridge – Pembury widening; Kent
- A63 Castle Street improvements, Hull; and
- A160/A180 improvements, Immingham
Roads Minister Mike Penning said: “We have already announced around £3bn of investment to complete work on Highways Agency major road projects under construction and to allow work to start before March 2015 on 20 much-needed road improvement schemes. Today, I am confirming development work will be advanced on a further six schemes around the country. This means they will be in a good position to be selected for start of works in the early years of the next spending review period.”
The development work will focus on designing and consulting on proposals, along with progressing any necessary statutory processes.
Today's announcement also marks the conclusion of a review process for four schemes - including the M4 J3-12 managed motorway scheme - from the 2010 Spending Review.
The M3 Junctions 2-4a managed motorway scheme has already been added to the roads programme with a start of work date of 2013/14.
The two remaining proposals, the M20 Junction 10a and M54 to M6/M6 Toll link road, will continue to be considered for future delivery along with other schemes, the Department for Transport said.
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