Tackling Potholes: A New Era for UK Roads
Britain's busiest A-roads are set to be transformed into mini motorways as part of a 15bn plan.
The transformation will not include roundabouts or traffic lights and slow moving vehicles such as tractors and bicycles will be banned. The Highway Agency, who will become Highways England on April 1 2015, hopes that the new motorway systems will be able to provide 'mile a minute' journeys and will allow traffic to move from one route to another without causing delays.
Patrick McLoughlin, Transport Secretary, said: "Infrastructure is a vital part of this government's long-term economic plan to secure a better future for this country, that is why we are investing £15 billion in the biggest upgrade to England's strategic roads in a generation."
"The creation of Highways England will mean better value for money, improved customer satisfaction, more road capacity, improved safety and a better quality of service for millions of people who use the strategic road network every day."
18 A-roads are to be changed at first including the A303 and A30 with the M3 from Hampshire to Exeter, others will then follow. By 2040 the most important A-roads are said to become expressways, the new systems could save the taxpayer £2.6bn over the next ten years.