More than 140 road improvement schemes across the Midlands region are set to benefit from £196 million worth of investment. Government agency National Highways has announced the capital which will cover projects on major trunk roads and motorways including M6, M5, M1 and A43.
It said pedestrians and cyclists would also see the benefits of the work which will include resurfacing, new barriers and improvements to drainage to prevent flooding.
Among the 141 projects allocated for a share of the funding are:
- M1 junction 19 to Gilmorton - £5 million resurfacing project on the north and southbound carriageways between junction 19 and junction 21 of the M1
- A1 southbound Wothorpe to South Witham - £4.3 million resurfacing scheme on the southbound A1
- A43 southbound Tove to Northampton Road roundabout - £5 million resurfacing scheme on the southbound A43 between the Tove Roundabout and Northampton Road Roundabout
- M69 junction one to M1 - £3 million scheme on the M69 to replace sections of the existing vehicle restraint systems between the M1 and junction one at Hinckley
- A1 Sutton-on-Trent to Blyth - £2 million drainage scheme on the A1
- M5 junctions six to seven - £12 million installation of new concrete central barrier between junctions six at Warndon and seven Worcester North. The new barrier will replace the existing steel restraint which has reached the end of its lifespan
- A5 Mile Oak to Coventry Canal - £3.9 million installation of new central reservation safety restraint barrier
- M6 Barthomley - £3 million bridge parapet upgrade with some upgrading of the barrier at M6 junction 16 Barthomley Interchange
- Resurfacing work at various locations on the M42 northbound between junction seven and junction nine near Coleshill, including A4097 Kingsbury Road roundabout
National Highways' Midlands director Andrew Jinks said: "Hundreds of thousands of drivers travel through the Midlands every day for work journeys, home deliveries and the movement of the goods and services and major roads like the M1 and the M6 connect the Midlands to local roads and with the rest of the UK and the world via rail, ports and airports.
"So it's essential we keep these roads 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."
Last year, National Highways invested £186 million into the completion of 195 road renewal and maintenance projects including resurfacing 151.6 miles of motorways and major A-roads in the Midlands.
Recent work involved repairs to damaged concrete hidden underground at Bromford Viaduct near Spaghetti Junction of the M6 in Birmingham.
This involved excavation of land around the base of the concrete columns, which had been damaged by water, so specialist teams could inject special resin into the foundations to strengthen the concrete. The six-month project was completed in May.
And at Spaghetti Junction itself, a £300,000 scheme was carried out earlier this year which included resurfacing of the road and repairs to ten joints which are designed to allow movement of the structure.
