HM Government

The organisation is using a mobile visitor centre, which will for the first time give road users and local residents the chance to speak to staff who will be coming to their area. The minibus facility will open out into a larger exhibition, which will feature displays and presentations about road works in the area and road safety.

This innovative new approach builds on the success of the team working on the new A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon road, which has deployed a similar exhibition to engage with the public about that work.

Now drivers will be able to speak to Highways England staff about a whole range of road works that are happening soon and further in the future, with the new visitors centre set to tour the region.

Staff will be on hand to answer road users’ queries and address their concerns, with the focus of the exhibition being on essential major maintenance work happening soon throughout the region but staff also able to talk about upcoming work such as the significant improvements that will be delivered through the Roads Investment Strategy. Over the next week, the visitor centre will travel to the following locations as detailed below, being manned and available between 12pm (midday) and 7pm:

• Tuesday 18 July – Haycocks Hotel, Wansford
• Wednesday 19 July – Serpentine Shopping Centre, Peterborough
• Thursday 20 July – Play2Day, Gull Road, Guyhirn
• Friday 21 July – Tesco, Dereham

Throughout the rest of July and August, the exhibition will also be visiting the following locations, with times and dates to be confirmed:

• Bedford
• Sandy
• Biggleswade
• Spittals Interchange, Huntingdon
• Baldock
• Toddington
• King’s Lynn
• Attleborough
• Great Yarmouth
• Hopton
• Lowestoft
• Harwich
• Hockliffe

Members of the public are invited to attend the mobile visitor centre to speak with Highways England staff, which will include traffic officers at some of the exhibitions.

Highways England Capital Delivery Team Leader, Aran Nugent, said:

We are aware that the work we do has an impact on our road users, and so Highways England is eager to better engage with drivers and local residents so we can hear their comments, allay their concerns and answer any questions they may come to us with.

This mobile exhibition offers us an excellent opportunity to better get into those communities we will be working alongside, so we can speak with people to explain the work we are doing and the benefits it will bring for them, their town and this region.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

read more

Quick-thinking Highways England traffic officers ensured that the Riding for the Disabled Association’s fundraising effort was not left short-changed at this weekend’s National Championships in Gloucestershire.

Highways England received reports of debris lying in lane 3 of the M5 near Sedgemoor Services yesterday afternoon. Dispatched to the scene, traffic officers Andy Pollard and Andy White closed off the lane of the motorway and removed a large box from the carriageway.

What they found, in fact, was a box of hooded jumpers belonging to the Riding for the Disabled Association and bound for the annual National Championships at Hartpury College.

Realising the championships were getting under way today, team manager Lee Evans tracked down the RDA, made contact and repatriated the hoodies last night – in good time to make one of the fundraising stands.

Richard Hunter, a merchandiser, sells clothing at the event to help raise funds for the RDA and the box had become dislodged from his trailer as he made his way to the event. The box was transferred via a number of patrol vehicles and Mr Hunter was able to collect the hoodies at services near junction 11A at Gloucester.

He said:

What an amazing level of service, way above and beyond what anyone could have expected. A big thank you to all Highways England staff Involved.

Rob Penney, service delivery manager for Highways England, added:

We were really pleased to help out in this instance and to ensure that the owner was found.

We pride ourselves on the service we provide to road users across the country, it was a good team effort, and we hope the championships are a success for all those involved.

Find out more information on Highways England’s traffic officer service.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

read more

The Highways England project at Two Mills, where the A550 meets the A540, is due to start on Monday 17 July. A new 320 metre cycle path will be created through the junction, with traffic lights and toucan crossings making it easier to cross the A550.

The right turn lanes onto the A540 from the A550 will also be improved and a new high-friction road surface will be laid to reduce the risk of collisions at the junction.

The A540, which runs between Chester and Hoylake, is popular with cyclists and group rides set off from a cyclists’ café near the Two Mills junction during most weekends throughout the year.

Phil Tyrrell, Project Manager at Highways England, said:

We’re committed to significantly improving safety across our road network, and the new cycle path as well as the wider and longer right turn lanes will make it much easier and safer for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to cross the junction.

We will do everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum while the work is taking place, and look forward to seeing the new cycle path open in time for the spring.

The new cycle path, which will be shared by cyclists and pedestrians, will run along the southbound A540. The route will cross two new islands on the A550 at the Two Mills junction before continuing along the A540.

Two crossings will also be created at either end of the cycle path for people travelling in the opposite direction. The bus stop on the A540 will be moved to the opposite side of the junction to allow space for the new cycle path.

Peter Williams from Neston is a member of the Chester Cycling Campaign, which campaigns for new and improved cycle routes. He said:

We’re really pleased to see this scheme taking place as the junction is used by lots of cyclists every week – either commuting to work or for leisure. I tend to meet up with members of the Chester and North Wales Cyclists’ Touring Club twice a week at the Eureka cyclists’ café near the junction before we set off on a ride.

You have to be really careful when you cross the junction at the moment and a few people I know have had their bikes clipped by drivers who haven’t seen them, so the new cycle path will definitely make it safer.

Most of the work will be carried out overnight between 8pm and 5am, with some work also taking place at weekends. A series of overnight lane or road closures will be in place on most nights, with clearly-signed diversions. The scheme is due to be completed by spring 2018.

The cycling project at the Two Mills junction is one of 200 cycling schemes taking place across England up until 2021 paid for by a £100 million government fund for cycling. The schemes are designed to make it easier for cyclists to cross motorway junctions and use major A roads.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

read more

Over the next few days drivers and residents will see a 400 tonne crane on the site where the A19 meets the A1058 Coast Road. The crane will be lifting 55 huge concrete reinforced beams into place which will form the base of the new bridges.

Three bridges are being put in place, 1 to support the A1058 Coast Road over the Coast Road roundabout and 2 to carry the Coast Road roundabout over the newly lowered A19. This will create the third layer of the junction and will mean drivers will be able to continue straight along the A19 underneath the roundabout.

These 55 beams have been transported from West Mead in Ireland and weigh 35 tonnes each at a length of 22 metres. Of these beams, 22 have already been put in place on the north bridge of the roundabout.

View timelapse footage of beams being lifted into place.

Highways England assistant project manager Steven Cox said:

This is an exciting milestone because once these bridges are in place we will be able to start creating the underpass which is what obviously will take the most time as we need to remove 80,000 cubic metres of earth.

It’s great that we have managed to hit this major milestone nearly a year since we started construction. Over the last 12 months we have worked 285,000 hours up to the end of June with an average of 120 people on site every day.

During that time we have installed a retaining wall on the A19 southbound approach to Silverlink roundabout, which enabled the construction of the Silverlink Point retail development. The roundabout has been altered and the A1058 has been moved into a contraflow on the westbound carriageway so work could start on putting in the supports for the bridges.

Work has also been carried out at Middle Engine Lane. Over the last few months piling work has been completed which will form the foundation of the new bridge carrying the A19. The new bridge will be widened to support the A19 and new southbound exit slip road and this will be completed in the next few months.

As part of the scheme, improvements will be carried out to 1,175 metres of cycleway and an extra 247 metres will be created.

The scheme employs 6 graduate or apprentices and 60% of its workforce is from the North East.

The £75 million Highways England scheme when finished will reduce congestion and improve journey time reliability for the thousands of drivers who use it every day.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

read more

Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt said: I strongly condemn the horrific terror attack in Jerusalem. I am saddened and appalled by this despicable act and offer my condolences to the victims and their families. The UK continues to stand with Israe… read more