Motorists travelling in the east are set to benefit from safer and smoother journeys, as National Highways this outlined a multi-million pound package of improvements to roads, pavements, and bridges across the region over the next 12 months.  

Well-known motorways and major A roads including the M11, A14, A1, A47 and A12 are all included in the planned package.  

Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists will all benefit from the planned works, which include road resurfacing, bridge joint replacements, the creation of cycle lanes, improved signage and enhancements to the surrounding environment. 

In total, National Highways will spend more than £205 million on more than 103 schemes across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. 

Martin Fellows, National Highways Regional Director, said: “It’s vital that National Highways’ motorways and major A-roads are kept in good condition to make sure they remain safe, reliable, and keep traffic in the east moving.  

“This investment means that we can continue our work to deliver smoother road surfaces, safer bridges, improved signs, dedicated safe spaces for cyclists and enhancements to the surrounding environment throughout the region.”

Roads Minister, Richard Holden said: “Over the next twelve months road users across the East of England will benefit from over £200million of investment to keep our roads repaired and maintained – vital for keeping the road users connected and the economy moving across the East.” 

The significant package of maintenance work planned for the region includes road resurfacing, laying of road studs, and improvements being made to drainage and safety barriers. Larger schemes include: 

• A5 southbound between Portway and Kelly’s Kitchen (Milton Keynes) – resurfacing  
• A14 eastbound and westbound between junction 42 and junction 43 (Suffolk) – resurfacing, road markings and studs 
• A14 sign renewals (Cambridgeshire) 
• A120 between Marks Farm Marks Tey (Essex) – road markings and stud renewal  
• A12 southbound junction 29, junction 28, and junction 27 (Essex – resurfacing  

This latest investment in the region’s roads follows on from last year’s essential maintenance programme which saw National Highways pump £203m million into the completion of over 75 road renewal and maintenance projects. 

From April 2022 to March 2023, National Highways: 

• Resurfaced 148 lane miles of motorways and major A roads in the east 
• 100 miles of Safety barrier replaced  
• 84,000 road studs were replaced to help light the way for drivers  
• 1275  traffic signs were erected  
• 77 bridge joints installed 
• 567 lighting heads converted to energy saving LED  
• 98,000 linear meters of drainage were renewed 
• 35,700 trees planted as part of seven landscape improvement schemes  
• Carried out safety improvements at 23 junctions  

Work on this year’s comprehensive maintenance and improvement programme started last month, with National Highways also continuing an extensive programme of concrete road upgrades. 

Many concrete roads were laid more than 40 years ago. Decades of use and hundreds of millions of journeys have left the road in need of vital upgrades which will create a smoother road surface, reduce noise for motorists and nearby residents and improve safety. 

Concrete reconstruction schemes are underway at four locations: 

• A11 carriageway between Spooner Row and the Tuttles Interchange at Wymondham 
• A12 Margaretting Bypass (junctions 13 and 15) 
• A12 between junction 25 at Marks Tey and junction 26 at Stanway 
• A14 carriageway between junction 47a Haughley to junction 49 Tothill