National Highways’ SRN Initial Report prioritises making most of existing network
National Highways has published new proposals for the future of England’s motorways and major A-roads as part of plans to better connect the country and grow the economy in an environmentally sustainable way.
The Strategic Road Network Initial Report for 2025-2030 sets out National Highways’ advice to the government on priorities over the next five-year period in the lead up to the release of the RIS3 and beyond.
The report indicates that work is likely to increasingly focus on “making the most of the existing network through proactive maintenance and improvement works, boosting safety and journey reliability and in turn driving economic prosperity.” This includes greater use of digital technologies, getting the network ready for connected and autonomous vehicles and encouraging active travel.
The report also outlines the challenges facing increasingly busy roads and how investment can help tackle congestion and smooth traffic flow. Most motorways were built in the 1960s and 1970s and now require extensive renewal while National Highways also needs to ensure performance and safety levels are maintained in the face of increased exposure to severe weather.
The Initial Report is subject to an eight-week consultation by the UK Department for Transport (DfT). It is published alongside National Highways’ long-term strategic plan, Connecting the Country. This sets out the company’s priorities for the network up to 2050, with demand for roads from zero-emission vehicles expected to remain strong as part of a seamlessly integrated transport system.
Separately, 20 Route Strategies have also been released, which help develop and maintain a detailed evidence base on the performance of the network, identifying current issues and understanding potential future challenges.
Alongside this, National Highways has published its new Environmental Sustainability Strategy which sets out the company’s long-term vision to manage roads in a more sustainable way, ensuring the network can be used as a force for good.
Nick Harris, National Highways’ chief executive, said, “Our network of motorways and A-roads has a critical role to play over the next 30 years in supporting growth and levelling up. They bind together the regions and nations of the UK, facilitating national and international trade, and even under conservative forecasts demand for the network will continue to increase up to 2050.
“While we strive to maintain safe and reliable journeys for the vehicles that rely on our network each day, we know that ever higher levels of social and environmental responsibility will, quite rightly, be required of us. This means we will need to find new and innovative ways to continue connecting the country by facilitating active travel and public transport, and using digital technology to help customers make more informed decisions and managing our network more efficiently,” Harris added.
The DfT will consult widely on the initial plan to inform the development of its draft Road Investment Strategy (RIS) for the third road period, from 2025 to 2030. Any decisions on National Highways’ proposals will also be subject to decisions on levels of funding for the five-year period, which are yet to be finalized.
Find out more at the STB Conference. Nick Harris is speaking at the STB Conference in Birmingham on 5 June where he will be outlining National Highways’ route strategies and their role in binding together the regions and nations of the UK while supporting growth and levelling up. Organised as a sister event to Interchange, the STB Conference is free to attend and offers an unprecedented opportunity to engage with England’s seven Sub-National Transport Bodies. Register for the STB Conference now