Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment
Road Investment Strategy 3 will fund major schemes to upgrade and future-proof England's roads over the next 5 years.
- major £27 billion boost for England’s motorways and major A-roads over the next 5 years – one of the largest ever road investment plans
- after years of decline, plans will fix the country’s ageing roads, fund major schemes like the dualling of the A66 and unlock private investment into the Lower Thames Crossing to improve connectivity and cut congestion
- government also gives green light to 16 key road schemes on local roads, helping create thousands of new jobs and homes across the country
Millions of drivers are set for smoother, safer journeys as the government today (26 March 2026) commits £27 billion to upgrade and future-proof England’s roads.
Spread across 5 years, the plan puts more money into maintaining the network to help deliver smoother, more reliable journeys for drivers, businesses and freight operators by resurfacing roads, fixing potholes, and replacing worn-out stretches of motorway.
The huge investment, known as the Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), will fund major schemes that unlock growth and improve connectivity across the country, and allow National Highways (NH) to resurface over 9,000 kilometres worth of motorway and major A-road lanes – almost a quarter of the network.
These include the dualling of the A66 between Cumbria and North Yorkshire, and government support to bring private investment into the Lower Thames Crossing – a new road crossing east of London that will ease congestion and improve connections across the South East.
The government is also choosing to fix the foundations, investing a record £8.4 billion to repairing and renewing England’s motorways and major A-roads before problems arise, so drivers can have faith in a world-class road network once again.
That’s on top of the £7.3 billion already pledged by government at the Spending Review for local authorities to fix potholes and invest in long-term measures to maintain local roads.
To help restore people’s pride in their communities, the government is today also giving the green light to a further 16 road schemes on the major road network and local roads, supporting thousands of new jobs and homes in communities across England.
The schemes, including bypasses and junction improvements that local authorities could not deliver alone, have been chosen on their value for money and long-term deliverability, ensuring taxpayers’ money goes into projects that will deliver growth for left behind communities.
To help show the scale of the investment, the government has created an interactive map showing all the schemes that will be progressed during RIS3.
Interactive map of RIS3 schemes.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:
For too long this country has failed to tackle and fix our crumbling infrastructure, but this huge £27 billion investment in our roads will secure the future of our road network for years to come.
Not only are we investing in renewing our roads, meaning smoother and faster journeys for drivers, we are getting on with investing into brand new projects and fixing potholes, which will deliver benefits across the country from Norwich to Manchester.
Roads and Buses Minister, Simon Lightwood, said:
This government is firmly putting its money where its mouth is, and this new funding will be transformational for the millions of drivers and thousands of businesses that rely on our motorways and A roads every day.
By investing in existing infrastructure and new schemes, such as the Lower Thames Crossing and long-awaited dualling of the A66, we are giving everyone the confidence they can get from A to B faster and smoother than ever before.
National Highways Executive Director Elliot Shaw said:
This major investment will help boost economic growth by improving and maintaining motorways and major A roads which keep the country moving.
When roads are well maintained, businesses and communities feel the benefit, so this funding enables us to tackle an ageing network head-on and keep drivers safe.
Our focus on renewing vital infrastructure will keep people connected to their loved ones, support the delivery of new homes and jobs, and give industry the confidence to plan and invest in the UK.
The £27 billion investment supports the government’s central mission of kickstarting economic growth, giving businesses and regions the long-term certainty they need to invest and create jobs. Improved road reliability will also help keep supply chains moving and support the freight networks that keep goods and prices stable for consumers.
RIS3 sets stretching targets for National Highways on safety, journey reliability, network condition and environmental performance, allowing the government to hold them to account on delivery over the 5-year period.
While today the government has committed to tackling potholes on motorway and major A-road surfaces, it also recently committed to investing over £7 billion over the next 4 years to help councils tackle their potholes. We have also introduced a new rating system so people can see for themselves whether their local council is using their funding to deliver for their communities.
Schemes to be developed during RIS3
| Scheme | Region | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A66 Northern Trans-Pennine | North East, North West, and Yorkshire | Dualling of the remaining single-carriageway sections of the A66 between the M6 Junction 40 and A1(M) Junction 53, and improvements to the junctions at Penrith and Scotch Corner. |
| M180 Junction 2-3 Eastbound and Westbound | Yorkshire | An ageing concrete road that requires full reconstruction. |
| A180 Brocklesby Interchange to Barnetby Interchange | Lincolnshire | Ageing concrete road that requires full reconstruction. The road is a key route serving Immingham Docks and the Port of Grimsby. |
| M62 Goole and Airmyn refurbishment | Yorkshire | Refurbishment of 2 bridges. This project will repair the structures, renew key components, and install measures to protect them from future damage. |
| Mottram Moor Link Road and A57 Link Road | North West | New dual carriageway bypass from M67 Junction 4, around Mottram, and new single carriageway link road. |
| M60 / M62 / M66 Simister Island | North West | Improving capacity of the intersection between the M60 Junction 18, M62 and M66. |
| M6 Lune Gorge | North West | Renewing ageing bridges along a 10km stretch between Junctions 37 and 38. These structures were built in the late 1960s and are now deteriorating due to their design and today’s heavier traffic. Without intervention, traffic would eventually face lane reductions and full closures. |
| M54 to M6 Link Road | West Midlands | New dual carriageway link road between the M54 Junction 1 and M6 Junction 11. |
| A46 Coventry Junctions | West Midlands | Upgrading the Binley and Walsgrave junctions on the A46 to grade separated. |
| M42 Junction 6 | West Midlands | New dual carriageway link road from a new junction (5a) on the M42, to an upgraded M42 Junction 6. |
| A46 Newark Bypass | East Midlands | Dualling of the existing A46 single carriageway between Farndon and Winthorpe roundabouts in Newark. |
| A38 Derby Junctions | East Midlands | Replacement of 3 roundabouts on A38 with grade-separated interchanges. |
| A52 Nottingham Junctions | East Midlands | Improving capacity at several junctions along the A52 in Nottingham. |
| A46 concrete reconstruction | East Midlands | This project will deliver reconstruction of the affected section to provide a safer, more resilient, and more reliable route. |
| M42 Eastway Bridge | West Midlands | This project will address these structural issues, keep the bridge safe and ensure reliable access to the NEC and surrounding area. |
| A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet | East | New 10-mile dual carriageway section between Cambridge and the M1, including 3 grade separated junctions. |
| A47 Blofield to North Burlingham | East | Upgrading of the existing A47 to dual carriageway between Blofield and North Burlingham, east of Norwich. |
| A47 North Tuddenham to Easton | East | Dualling of the existing A47 single carriageway between Norwich and Dereham. |
| A47 Thickthorn Junction | East | Two new slip roads that will connect the A47 with the A11. |
| M25 Junction 10 | South East | Improving capacity of the junction with the A3 Wisley Interchange. |
| M3 Junction 9 | South East | Upgrade to the junction to allow free movement from the A34 to the M3. |
| M27 J5-7 concrete overlay | South East | Upgrades to the central barrier and drainage to extend the life of this section of the M27 by around 40 years. |
| Arundel Railway Bridge Replacement | South East | A viable replacement option is currently being developed. |
| A417 missing link | South West | New dual carriageway connecting the 2 dual carriageway sections of the A417 near Birdlip in Gloucestershire. |
| M32 Eastville Viaduct renewal | South West | In need of significant renewal to ensure it remains safe and reliable. The project will repair and strengthen the structure so it can continue to serve its full design life, helping to maintain a key route into the city. |
| M5 J19-20 Wynhol Viaduct | South West | Requires significant work to address ageing structures and ensure the route remains safe and reliable for road users. This project is at an early development stage, and the scope is still being developed. |
Schemes to be explored for RIS4 or future pipeline
| Scheme | Region | Description |
|---|---|---|
| M1 Junction 28 | East Midlands | Junction improvements to support growth by reducing congestion on key transport corridor of the M1 and A38. |
| A404 Corridor improvements | South East | Improvement of 2 junctions to support significant growth in and around Thames Valley. |
| M27 Junction 3 | South East | Improves access to the Port of Southampton, the main port for UK manufactured goods exported outside the EU. |
| A5 / M42 Junction 10 | West Midlands | Unlocking economic and housing growth by easing congestion on the A5 where it meets Junction 10 of the M42. |
| A5 Dodwells to Longshoot | West Midlands | Improves performance and capacity of the A5 to support commercial and housing growth. |
| A50 Corridor | West Midlands | Improving 4 junctions along the A50 corridor and improving links to the M1 and M6. |
| M6 Junction 15 | West Midlands | Reducing congestion and increasing capacity at this key junction, supporting wider growth of the A50 corridor. |
| A5 Gibbet Hill | Midlands | Supporting significant planned commercial and housing growth in the region. |
| A19 Moor Farm Junction | North East | Delivering junction improvements to support significant planned housing and commercial growth in the North East. |
| M62 / A57 Link | North West | Addressing a major pinch point at Junction 11-12 of the M60 and significant delay on the corridor, while also supporting growth and developments within the new mayoral development zone at Western Gateway. |
| M1 Junction 13 | East | Delivering improvements to the junction connecting the A421 and the M1, in response to significant regional growth. |
| A12 / A14 Copdock Interchange | East | Delivering improvements to increase capacity and improve the performance of a key junction serving freight traffic bound to and from the Port of Felixstowe. |
| A11 Fiveways Junction | East | Improving a key junction to support regional growth. |
List of approved local authority-led schemes following Major Road Network (MRN) and large local majors (LLM) review
| Scheme | Description |
|---|---|
| A140-A1120 Earl Stonham | Realignment of the A140 / A1120 junction at Earl Stonham village. |
| A10 corridor scheme in Broxbourne | A10 junction improvements plus supporting sustainable transport measures. |
| Norwich Western Link | New link to the west of Norwich |
| Vauxhall Way improvements phase 1 | Dualling the existing Vauxhall Way to increase capacity |
| Shalesmoor Gateway | Replacement of existing Shalesmoor roundabout and widening carriageway links; and upgrades to junction at Rutland Road / Penistone Road in Sheffield. |
| A650 Tong Street | Carriageway widening to 2 lanes in each direction and improvements to active travel facilities |
| A426 / A4071 Avon Mill / Hunters Lane improvements | Enlargement of Avon Mill roundabout / provision of new roundabout at A426 Newbold Rd-Hunters Lane / new short length of dual carriageway between the 2 roundabouts including new bridge over the River Avon. |
| A43 Northampton | Phase 3 of dualling of the A43 between the A45 and A14. Duals the stretch between Overstone Grange Roundabout and Holcot / Sywell Roundabout. |
| A379 Bridge Road (formerly Exeter Outer Ring Road) | Major structural renewals on a key arterial route over the River Exe. |
| M5 Junction 28 | Improvements to junction to mitigate impacts of Culm Garden Village development. |
| Northam Rail Bridge | Provision of a new, widened, replacement bridge on the A3024 corridor in Southampton. |
| A229 Blue Bell Hill Improvements | Upgrade of junctions at either end of Bluebell Hill: A229 / M2 J3 and A229 / M20 J6. |
| A259 south coast corridor | Measures to enhance access to public transport and active travel facilities alongside localised road and junction capacity improvements. |
| A326 Waterside improvements | Improvements to the A326 Corridor connecting into the M27 at Junction 2 and serving the Waterside area of the New Forest. |
| Wigan East West | A link road connecting the A49 at Wigan to the A58 at Hindley. |
| Sunderland strategic transport corridor phase 4 | Improvements to the A1231 between the new bridge over the River Wear and the junction with the A19. |
