National Highways has announced a multi-million-pound package of improvements to roads, pavements and bridges across the south west over the next 12 months. And the good thing for us here in Bristol is that they include a number of major routes in and out of the city.
Well-known motorways and major A-roads are included in the planned package, including the M5, M4, A40, A36, A303, A30 and A38. And motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are all set to benefit, too, from the plans which look set to see road resurfacing, bridge joint replacements, new cycle lanes and improved signage and landscaping.
The announcement comes as the government continues its drive to 'level up' transport in regions right across the country, investing in vital infrastructure and boosting both connections and local economies to 'build back better' following the pandemic. In total, National Highways will spend £167 million on more than 100 schemes across not just Bristol, but also South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.
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Mark Fox, National Highways Interim Regional Director, said: “Hundreds of thousands of drivers use our roads every day for work journeys, home deliveries and the movement of the goods and services, so it’s essential we keep them in a good condition to ensure safety and reliability. With this investment, National Highways will continue to deliver the essential maintenance and upgrades throughout the region to improve safety and help keep drivers on the move.”
National Highways has confirmed it will begin work on its comprehensive maintenance programme in the coming weeks. Schemes which look set to be started soon include:
- M5 Junction 16 Patchway and Almondsbury Interchange deck refurbishments
- M5 Junctions 20-21 St Georges Railway Bridge deck refurbishment
- A36 Dundas Retaining Wall
- A36 Bath to Monkton Combe Drainage
- M5 Junctions 10-11 Bamfurlong Lane deck refurbishment
- M5 Junctions 13-14 Michaelwood Footbridge replacement
- A38 Chudleigh Station Drainage Improvements
This latest investment in the region's roads follows last year's essential maintenance programme which saw National Highways invest £200m into the completion of 121 road renewal and maintenance projects. Over the past 12 months it has resurfaced 277 lane kilometres (172.1 miles) of motorways and major A-roads in the south west, using 221,177 tonnes of resurfacing material.
A further 84,948 road studs were laid to help light the way for drivers, while 77km (47.8 miles) of safety barriers were renewed, 23km (14 miles) of drainage improvements were made to to reduce carriageway flooding and 36 new bridge joints were installed.
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