Government vows to ‘accelerate’ investment in UK road network

UK government steps up previous commitments while traffic is low, with £200m of road improvements fast-tracked during lockdown

The government has vowed to accelerate investment in the UK’s transport infrastructure while traffic levels remain low during the coronavirus crisis through the use of a £1.7 billion fund to repair local roads and £175 million of work on major road and rail networks.

The measures were outlined by transport secretary Grant Shapps, who said £200m of "major improvement work" was fast-tracked on motorways and A-roads during the extended lockdown period.

The Department for Transport also outlined a £1.7bn investment in local roads from the Transport Infrastructure Investment Plan – confirming money that had already been committed by the government. Shapps said the investment will be accelerated and used to repair road infrastructure, including filling in around 11m potholes.

Shapps also outlined further details of the government’s “vision” to improve electric charging infrastructure resulting from the £500m Rapid Charging Fund announced in the March 2020 Budget.

The government has vowed that every motorway service station in England will have a minimum of six ultra-rapid charge points by 2023, with certain larger sites offering between 10 and 12. The plans call for 2500 high-powered charge points to be in place on English motorways and A-roads by 2030, with 6000 by 2035.

*READ MORE:*

*UK road usage increasing despite lockdown still being in place*

*How Autocar writers would fix Britain's roads and transport*

*Government makes it easier to close urban roads to cars*