Strategic Road Network Delivery plan
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| Strategic Road Network Delivery plan | |
|---|---|
| Name | Strategic Road Network Delivery plan |
| Type | Infrastructure plan |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
| Implementing agency | National Highways |
| Established | 21st century |
| Status | Active |
Strategic Road Network Delivery plan
The Strategic Road Network Delivery plan articulates a multi-year program for managing, upgrading, and operating the principal trunk roads and motorways connecting London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Cardiff. It aligns with national transport strategies such as Road Investment Strategy and regional initiatives including Northern Powerhouse and City Deals, coordinating with statutory frameworks like the Infrastructure Act 2015 and policies from Department for Transport and agencies including Highways England (now National Highways).
Overview and Objectives
The plan aims to secure resilience for corridors such as the M25 motorway, M1 motorway, A1 road, M6 motorway, and A14 road while supporting economic clusters exemplified by Heathrow Airport, Port of Felixstowe, Manchester Airport Group, and Harland and Wolff shipbuilding sites. Objectives emphasize connectivity to nodes like Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle upon Tyne, Southampton, and Edinburgh; safety improvements referenced to Euro NCAP-aligned standards; freight efficiency linked to Freightliner Group terminals; and resilience for extreme weather events noted in reports by Met Office and Environment Agency.
Governance and Stakeholders
Governance structures integrate public bodies and private partners including National Highways, the Department for Transport, combined authorities such as Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and devolved administrations in Scottish Government and Welsh Government. Stakeholders range from local planning authorities like City of London Corporation to delivery partners including Balfour Beatty, Costain Group, Skanska, Vinci SA, and operators at ports and airports such as Peel Ports Group and Heathrow Airport Holdings. Engagement involves transport unions like ASLEF and Unite the Union, user groups exemplified by The AA and RAC, and regulatory oversight by Office of Rail and Road and National Audit Office.
Planning and Prioritization
Planning employs strategic assessments such as Strategic Environmental Assessment and modeling tools used by research centers like Transport Research Laboratory and universities including Imperial College London and University of Leeds. Prioritization aligns investment to economic objectives in reports by National Infrastructure Commission and regional growth plans like Midlands Engine. Corridor schemes reference case studies like A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme and M4 relief road proposals, balanced against legal instruments including Planning Act 2008 infrastructure consenting and Town and Country Planning Act 1990 processes.
Design, Construction, and Maintenance
Design standards draw on manuals from Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and safety guidance informed by Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents analyses. Construction contracts are awarded to consortia involving Amey plc, Morgan Sindall Group, Laing O'Rourke, and Interserve partners, employing techniques used on projects like Second Severn Crossing and Humber Bridge refurbishment. Maintenance regimes coordinate winter services with Met Office forecasts and resurfacing techniques informed by Highways England trials, while asset management systems reference frameworks from ISO 55000 and the UK Roads Liaison Group.
Funding and Procurement
Funding packages blend public allocations from HM Treasury spending rounds, private finance models seen in Private Finance Initiative examples, and tolling or charging mechanisms analogous to Dartford Crossing arrangements and proposals akin to London Congestion Charge debates. Procurement adheres to rules in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and may use frameworks such as Constructionline and NEC contracts, with oversight by the Crown Commercial Service and audit by National Audit Office.
Performance Monitoring and Evaluation
Performance metrics include journey-time reliability, incident clearance times, and safety indicators benchmarked against datasets from Department for Transport statistics and Office for National Statistics transport metrics. Independent reviews reference studies by Royal Academy of Engineering, evaluations by National Audit Office, and academic assessments published by Transport Studies Unit (University of Oxford). Key performance indicators are reported to parliamentary committees such as the Transport Select Committee.
Environmental and Social Considerations
Environmental appraisal addresses impacts on designated sites like Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Ramsar Convention wetlands, biodiversity concerns involving species protected under Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and carbon reduction targets in line with Climate Change Act 2008. Social measures consider access for communities including Rural England parishes, liaison with heritage bodies like Historic England, and mitigation of noise and air quality effects guided by World Health Organization recommendations and UK Clean Air Strategy objectives.