Frequently-hit motorway bridge to be demolished
A bridge over the M42 which was hit twice in one week, and nearly 20 times in ten years, will be demolished. The structure between junctions 7 (M6 Junction 4) and 6 (Birmingham Airport) was struck by two lorries using the motorway below earlier this month. Since then the southbound carriageway has been reduced to […]
Smoother journeys to come thanks to A5 resurfacing scheme
Drivers using the A5 through Staffordshire will soon be enjoying smoother and safer journeys as major resurfacing works are being carried out. Resurfacing work is to be carried out along a busy stretch of the A5 in Staffordshire which will bring smoother journeys for road users. The work will be carried out between the A5/A4601 […]
Harris defends smart motorway safety
The Chief Executive of National Highways has explained that plans to improve safety on smart motorways have been implemented, and that statistics show they are as safe or safer than conventional motorways. Answering questions at the Commons Transport Committee, Nick Harris pointed to additional signage, information campaigns and stopped vehicle detection technology, and said the […]
Nick Harris to face Transport Committee over road upgrades, smart motorways and safety
National Highways CEO Nick Harris will be questioned by the cross-party Commons Transport Committee tomorrow (24 January), which will ask for updates on findings of its 2023 report on the government-owned company’s investments in maintaining and upgrading the network. The report concluded company’s five-year Road Investment Strategies (RIS) were over budget and delayed “due to […]
National Highways plants 3,000 trees in the South-west
National Highways is planting 3,000 trees to fight back against a major outbreak of ash dieback in the South West. The ash dieback fungus is now found across most of the UK. It affects shoots, branches and trunk base, causing canopy decline and the death of most affected trees. National Highways began a programme of […]
Data suggests smart motorway safety outages
It’s being reported technology meant to monitor smart motorways suffered from “extended power outages”, with 41 shutdowns last summer. The Daily Telegraph has seen data which suggests power outages can last days “and put motorists’ lives at risk”. It says statistics released under Freedom of Information laws, show how some or all of National Highways’ […]
National Highways takes “significant steps” to improve traffic flow near Blackpool
National Highways has given details of improvements to the A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool bypass after partially opening the road last month. There is still traffic management in place as we work towards full opening of the bypass, but the company says it has taken significant steps to improve traffic flows and the operation of […]
Engineers “considering all possible solutions” to deal with frequently-damaged bridge
Drivers are being advised to leave extra time for their journeys on the M42 near Birmingham after a bridge straddling the motorway was damaged in two separate collisions. The bridge between junctions 7 and 6 has been hit nearly 20 times in the last ten years. Only two lanes are running underneath it, with the […]
Amey reappointed National Highways Digital Lab partner
Amey has been reappointed as a delivery partner to National Highway’s Digital Lab following the delivery of around £30 million savings over three years. Since 2020, Amey has been supporting National Highways on its digital transformation by accelerating data-driven approaches across all directorates. It explains that, central to the partnership is the development of internal […]
Lower Thames Crossing planning application becomes the UK’s longest ever
The planning application for the £10 billion Lower Thames Crossing has become Britain’s biggest ever, with documents totalling more than 359,000 pages. It’s been revealed the paperwork for the project to relieve traffic on the M25 at Dartford, if laid end to end, would run nearly five times as long as the road itself. The […]