Civil engineering contractors have warned ministers against permanently scrapping two major road schemes as part of a proposed £428m cut to the RIS3 roads programme.
The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) is calling for the A38 Derby Junctions and A46 Newark Bypass schemes to be mothballed rather than cancelled, allowing both projects to be revived when funding conditions improve.
The Government is proposing to reduce RIS3 capital spending over the first four years of the 2026-31 investment period. The two East Midlands enhancement schemes are among those facing the axe, with a further 2% reduction proposed across other capital budgets.
CECA said it recognised the pressure on Government departments to contribute towards the Defence Investment Plan and accepted that road enhancement spending was likely to come under scrutiny, but it warned that cancelling the Derby and Newark schemes outright would sacrifice the future traffic and economic benefits they could deliver.
The contractors’ body wants the schemes retained in the pipeline so National Highways and the supply chain can bring them back into development when funding and wider economic conditions allow.
CECA backed the decision to protect maintenance and renewals funding, saying this was essential to prevent deterioration of the strategic road network and avoid significantly higher repair bills in future. However, it warned that enhancement spending cannot continue to bear the brunt of cuts while traffic levels continue to rise.
The association also challenged the industry to find further efficiencies, pointing to smarter design, construction innovation and improved commercial models as ways of controlling costs and reducing the risk of overruns.
At the same time, CECA called for the Government to reopen the politically sensitive question of how the road network is funded, including road-user charging, fuel duty and vehicle taxation, arguing that this could help unlock additional private investment.
For the proposed 2% reduction in the remaining capital programme, CECA said National Highways should work with contractors to identify savings in areas where they would have the least impact on delivery.
(Picture: National Highways)
