Full fibre broadband roll-out to blame for sharp increase in roadworks
The number of roadworks in Britain has more than doubled in the past two years. Exclusive data obtained by Sky News reveals there were 425,524 miles of roadworks across the UK last year. That’s enough to stretch around the world 17 times. It marks a 110% increase compared to 2023, when there were 203,000 miles […]
Staffordshire County Council asks utility companies to back roadworks campaign
Officials in Staffordshire have written to utility companies asking them to get behind the county council’s new approach to roadworks. The letter sets out Staffordshire County Council’s approach, and how it will impose stricter rules on utility companies who need access to the road network and use fines to encourage compliance. Current legislation prioritises utility […]
Cumbria: More than 10,000 drivers caught speeding through roadworks
Over 10,000 drivers have been caught speeding through M6 roadworks near Penrith in Cumbria. The offences took place at the site of a major infrastructure project, prompting urgent safety warnings from both National Highways and police. The speeding violations were recorded near Lowther Bridge, where a two-year, £9 million refurbishment scheme is underway, says the […]
Politicians demand compensation as major Kent roadworks extended again
Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Kevin McKenna and Swale Borough Council leader Tim Gibson have written a joint letter to Kent County Council saying that a further delay to the completion of major roadworks near Iwade is “disappointing and wholly unacceptable”. According to the BBC calls have been made for compensation for people impacted by the […]
Glasgow: Nine months of M8 roadworks begin
A May completion date has notified drivers using Scotland’s busiest road to prepare for the best part of nine months of disruption due to roadworks. Work on Junction 26 on the M8 – spanning both the eastbound and westbound carriageways – began on Monday morning, reports the BBC. With the exception of a brief break for the […]
Horrendous and frustrating: The true cost of roadworks
Two examples from opposite sides of the country have highlighted the true and often hidden cost of roadworks. Firstly, the landlord of a much-loved Norfolk pub said “horrendous” roadworks have cost the business a quarter of its usual trade. According to Paul Sandford, owner of the Railway Tavern in Dereham, the closures to the A47 […]
Kilspindie: Perthshire village ‘bombarded’ with traffic during A90 Dundee to Perth roadworks
A Perthshire village is being “bombarded” by traffic avoiding roadworks on the A90 between Dundee and Perth. Kilspindie resident Ian Alexander says “it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt” due to drivers speeding through the village at peak times, says the Courier. Mr Alexander says hundreds of drivers are using the high […]
Southampton City Council launches second attempt to introduce lane rental scheme
The leaders of Southampton City Council are to make a renewed attempt to push through plans to charge roadworks operator after an initial application was rejected by the government. The Daily Echo says that the lane rental scheme would see daily charges of £2,500 for a full closure and £1,500 for a lane closure or […]
Worcestershire: Anger over ‘senseless’ roadworks that has Bromsgrove gridlocked
Residents of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire have labelled as “totally senseless” a roadworks project on the A38 through the county, with multiple road closures and diversions causing significant delays. The £50 million Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Project, or BREP, aims to widen a key part of the route which acts as a bypass to the town centre. But as the […]
Harrogate: Council says roadworks situation a ‘fiasco’ and ‘a risk to residents’
Harrogate Town Council’s new Liberal Democrat leaders have criticised the latest roadworks ‘fiasco’. Having only been launched in June as part of local government reorganisation, the recently-elected authority has less money and power than the abolished Harrogate Borough Council but it is signalling its intention to make something of an impact, says the Harrogate Advertiser. The Lib […]