Dft Commits £90M To Four Major Road Schemes Across England

Drivers in Wiltshire, Leeds, Essex, and Buckinghamshire are set to benefit from faster travel times following the announcement of £90M in Department for Transport (DfT) funding for four significant road improvement projects.

The funding is part of the government’s broader strategy to bolster infrastructure and enhance economic growth throughout the country.

The four funding boosted schemes are detailed below.

A350 Chippenham Bypass (Wiltshire)

This project involves the final phases of dualling the A350 in Chippenham, with funding of £26.625M allocated from the DfT. The overall cost is estimated at £32M, with Wiltshire Council expected to cover the remaining expenses.

The contractor for the project, local firm MJ Church, was appointed in December 2023 and will start work this spring, aiming for completion by winter 2026.

Phases 4 and 5 are the final stages of the dualling project and will turn the remaining single carriageway sections of the A350 at Chippenham into dual carriageway, while also improving Bumpers Farm roundabout.

The enhancements will improve connectivity to Bumpers Farm industrial estate and significantly reduce travel times along this vital route between the M4 and the south coast.

Wiltshire Council cabinet member for highways Nick Holder said: We’re delighted to have received this funding from the Department for Transport and we can now get on with delivering the project.”

A350 Chippenham Bypass scheme overview

A647 Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass (Leeds)

With funding of £35.709M from the government, this scheme will address longstanding congestion issues at the A647 junction, which has particularly affected bus services. The project has also received £7M  from West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Planned improvements include the replacement of the existing roundabout, replace joints on the A647 Stanningley Bypass and the introduction of dedicated bus lanes and better facilities for cyclists and pedestrians. The A6120 ring road will be widened for a shared pedestrian and cycle route, while the A647 Stanningley Bypass will also be widened to accommodate more lanes.

The aim is to alleviate traffic delays, improve air quality, and support economic growth in the Leeds and Bradford areas.

The scheme was granted planning permission in October 2022 and business case was submitted in March 2024 with preparatory ground investigation work underway and the safety critical repair works to Stanningley Bypass have been ongoing since May 2021.

All the third party land required to build the scheme has been purchased. Subject to contractor approvals the main works are planned to start later this year take up to 15 months to complete.

Leeds City Council deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development Jonathn Pryor said: “I am delighted with the news that the Department for Transport £35.709 million funding has been granted. The need to improve Dawsons Corner junction has been a major priority for some time. It’s important not only to improve traffic flow and air quality, but also support essential links to future housing growth and developments and for people to be able to access jobs more easily with consistent travel times.”

Proposed Dawsons Corner design layout

South-East Aylesbury Link Road (Buckinghamshire)

Currently under construction in two segments, this new dual carriageway will span 1.7km and includes three roundabout junctions and a bridge over the railway to London and has received around £12.7M in funding from the DfT.

Phase 1 will connect to the proposed Southern Link Road through the Hampden Fields development,b uild 2 new roundabouts on the B4443 Lower Road and A413 Wendover Road, construct approximately 1.2km of dual carriageway, build a road bridge crossing the Aylesbury to Marylebone railway line, provide a replacement public open space for the Stoke Grange and Wendover Park estates and underground the existing overhead electricity cables to the north of the proposed road.

Phase 2 will construct approximately 500m of dual carriageway and build a new roundabout connecting the Stoke Mandeville Relief Road and the future South West Aylesbury Link Road (SWALR).

With Galliford Try appointed as the contractor for the remaining works, the project is on track for completion before autumn 2026. The shorter phase 2 should be completed this year.

Once complete, the South-East Aylesbury Link Road will form a crucial part of a new Orbital Link Road around Aylesbury providing a new route around the town, significantly easing congestion through the town centre and delivering new cycling and walking routes.

This road will provide a critical bypass for Aylesbury, enhance traffic flow, and facilitate plans for up to 1,000 new homes in the area.

Overview of South-East Aylesbury Link Road scheme

A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange (Essex)

The government will invest £15M in this much-needed upgrade to the Fairglen Interchange, supplementing £38M already pledged by Essex County Council and £6.2M from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership.

The scheme will include:

The upgrades are essential to accommodate future housing developments, projected to bring 60,000 new homes by 2043.

With the funding now secured, Essex County Council will look to appoint a contractor.

Overview of A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange scheme

The DfT’s overall £90M investment in these four schemes aims not only to expedite travel for motorists but also to stimulate local economies by reducing congestion and improving access to job markets.

The government has emphasised its commitment to renew public infrastructure as part of its Plan for Change, which includes a record investment of £1.6 billion to enhance road surfaces across the UK.

The DfT’s overall £90M investment in these four schemes aims not only to expedite travel for motorists but also to stimulate local economies by reducing congestion and improving access to job markets.

The government has emphasised its commitment to renew public infrastructure as part of its Plan for Change, which includes a record investment of £1.6 billion to enhance road surfaces across the UK.

The future of roads minister Lilian Greenwood said: “The UK’s roads are the backbone of a growing economy, which is why we’re giving these vital schemes the go ahead, helping deliver our Plan for Change.

“Economic growth has been stunted for too long, so we’re giving the green light and investing in vital schemes to help people get from A to B more easily however they choose to travel.”

Logistics UK deputy director, policy Michelle Gardner said: “80% of UK freight travels on roads at some point on its journey to the end user and an efficient road network is critical to enable business to drive growth across the whole economy.

“Congestion makes journey planning highly unpredictable which increases business costs through factors such as missed deliveries, unnecessary overtime, increased fuel consumption and inefficient fleet utilisation.

“The schemes given the go-ahead today show how even smaller-scale strategic upgrades can have a dramatic impact across the whole network. Upgrading the national infrastructure in this way makes supply chains more resilient and enables logistics providers to ensure that the right goods are in the right place at the right time – whether that is a factory, office, hospital or doorstep.”

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