Delivery plan 2020-2025 - Highways England
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Delivery plan 2020-2025
01 02 03 05
Foreword The strategic Executive summary Operations
documents at a glance
13 17 25 39
Maintenance Capital renewals Enhancements Designated funds
47 49 55 61
Preparing for the How we run our Efficiency Risk management
third road period network
65 66 80 94
Annex A: Annex B: Annex C: Annex D:
Funding table Performance Plan for year 1 Proposed pipeline
framework of future schemes
95
Glossary
Severn Bridge, M48 Motorway, South Gloucestershire
Cover photo: A14 junction 21, New Ellington, Cambridgeshire
01 02
Foreword The strategic documents at
a glance
Road investment strategy Delivery plan
This Delivery plan explains how we will invest our government funding in the strategic In March 2020, government published This document supports our Strategic
its second Road investment strategy business plan, covering our core activities
road network (SRN) up to 2025. It further describes how we will deliver our programme
(RIS2), which covers investment in and in operations, maintenance and renewals,
of work and meet our targets. Since Highways England’s creation in 2015, we have management of the SRN from April 2020 to as well as delivery across our enhancement
made significant progress in how we develop the SRN and deliver our services. March 2025. schemes.
Through the measures contained in this plan, we will further improve our performance. RIS2 sets out government's vision for a It also provides details of how we will invest
safer, more reliable and greener SRN which through our designated funds, outlines our
uses new technology, supports the country’s preparations for the third road period and
economy and is an integrated part of the shows how we will develop our organisation,
Over the past five years, we have delivered the objectives This plan describes how we will:
national transport network. including our people, processes and
of government’s first Road Investment Strategy (RIS1). We open 52 schemes, many of which will improve access
Government have allocated £27.4 billion to technology.
have opened 36 schemes for traffic, and started work on a to ports and airports
support this vision. In this document, we further discuss how we
further 31 schemes. These have added 370 lane miles of
start works on 12 new major road projects approach efficiency and risk management.
capacity to our network, helping customers travel more safely To respond to and align with RIS2, we have
ensure that all parts of the country benefit from our created our Strategic business plan and this Annex A provides detail of specific funding.
and easing congestion. We have also achieved efficiencies
work document, our Delivery plan.
of £1.4 billion. In Annex B, our performance framework
get motorways ready for digital vehicles These plans were developed before the sets out what we will deliver over the second
Our ambitions for our network over the next five years are
set out in our Strategic business plan. This document, our commit to no net-loss of biodiversity across our outbreak of Coronavirus (Covid-19) and we road period and collates all our performance
Delivery plan, contains the detail of how we will invest in the activities remain committed to delivering them. outcomes and commitments into one place.
safety and smooth running of our roads over the next five provide a benefit of £27 billion to customers through If, over time, Covid-19 means we need to We detail our Year 1 plan of activities from
years. It lays out the outputs and deliverables that the Office our enhancement programme update our plans, we will set out relevant 2020 to 2021 in Annex C.
of Road and Rail (ORR) will monitor us on over this period. save our customers over 20 million vehicle hours by changes in our annual Delivery plan update.
Everything we do will be in the best interests of the economy, tackling congestion
our customers, our communities, and the environment we help 7,500 households through noise mitigation Strategic business plan
live in. schemes
Over the next five years, we will work hard to meet the new Our Strategic business plan provides the
sustain up to 64,000 jobs in the construction industry
targets we have been set, maximising the value of every high-level direction for every part of our
deliver £2.23 billion of efficiencies to the taxpayer
pound that we spend. We will deliver the best possible company for the second road period,
outcome for the taxpayer, and enable safer, smoother and This detailed document also provides a framework for our underpinned by our three imperatives: safety,
more reliable journeys. supply chain and other stakeholders. Working together customer service and delivery.
means safer roads, greater efficiencies and a more It is structured around our six performance
We will help create jobs and generate economic benefits for
digital-ready network. outcomes from the performance framework,
the whole country, at the same time as maintaining our roads
for today’s drivers. We will reduce our own carbon emissions, as agreed with the Department for
Jim O’Sullivan
and support government's ambition to achieve net zero Transport (DfT).
Chief Executive, Highways England
carbon emissions by 2050.
03 04
Executive summary
We have selected and developed these major We have also challenged ourselves to deliver
schemes to increase safety, improve reliability best value to the taxpayer. We will build on
and deliver value for money. We consider our our track record from the first road period,
customers and the environment in the design of delivering efficiently and driving innovation
each and every scheme. across every part of our business. We will work
towards achieving our target of £2.23 billion
As part of our enhancements programme, we
This document describes how we will invest £27.4 billion in our network over the of efficiencies by the end of the second
will also make significant progress in delivering a road period.
second road period. Every activity detailed in this plan will help us work towards smart motorway core network. In March 2020,
achieving the things that matter to our customers and stakeholders, and meeting government published its Smart motorway We have already started to look further ahead.
our targets. evidence stocktake and action plan. We will take We are working to develop a steady and flexible
forward the actions set out by the Secretary pipeline of over 30 schemes for consideration in
of State for Transport. As part of this work, we the third road period and beyond. A list of these
will also improve the information we give to schemes can be found in Annex D. To make
We will open 52 schemes across the second We will keep our assets, everything from our customers to help increase safety. While sure we invest in the right places, we will work
road period, as well as delivering wider activities bridges to roadside signs, well maintained. We our response to the stocktake can be found in closely with Transport Focus, the independent
beyond the traditional focus of road investment. will increase investment in renewals activity, our Strategic business plan, this Delivery plan watchdog for transport passengers and road
To provide transparency, we have set out our particularly across concrete roads, structures also includes the actions we will undertake, users, to share insight and collaborate on
deliverables for the first year, April 2020 to and safety barriers. discussed in each of the relevant chapters. research. We will also engage and consult more
March 2021, in Annex C. widely with stakeholders and customers. As
We will complete the roll out of Asset Delivery, We have allocated £936 million for designated we understand that situations change, and our
Above all else, we need to keep our customers our approach to maintaining and improving our funds, of which £66 million is to help us achieve pipeline is not exhaustive, we have allocated
and our people safe. In the second road assets. This has already improved the way that no net loss of biodiversity. These funds will £347 million of our funding over the second
period, we will work to prevent incidents from we deliver our services and how we contract support projects which have wider benefits road period for further scoping work.
occurring. We will also focus on reducing with our supply chain. Through Asset Delivery, for customers, neighbouring communities, the
the severity of accidents through a package we will further increase our asset knowledge, environment and the economy. We want our As we enter into the second road period, we are
of activities. As part of this, we will promote as well as improving the management of our network to be accessible to everyone, including confident that we are ready to deliver what our
safer roads, safer people, safer vehicles and schemes and the planning of our activities. the walkers, cyclists and horse riders who need customers need and want – today, tomorrow
a coordinated response to collisions. We will to cross it safely. Working with stakeholders and further into the future.
review and refresh our Home safe and well Major enhancement schemes are a crucial
and partners, we will design and deliver these
approach by the end of 2022-23, ensuring it element of our investment portfolio. They
projects collaboratively. We will work with
remains fit for purpose. We will also focus our contribute towards almost all the strategic
universities, technology centres and research
safety communications on building customer outcomes in our performance framework,
institutes to better understand opportunities
knowledge and awareness, changing attitudes delivering environmental, social and economic
for improvement.
and influencing behaviour. benefits both nationally and regionally.
Over the second road period, we will increase
Operating, maintaining and renewing our We have allocated £14.2 billion to these
our ambition and delivery, without any material
network remains the bedrock of our activity, large and often complex schemes. As well as
increase in funding for our support areas.
especially against the forecast increase in completing the enhancements started in the
To meet this challenge, we will develop new
demand on our roads. We have made £10.8 first road period, we will start work on 12 new
in-house skills and capabilities and improve our
billion of funding available for this purpose. major schemes. These range from the Lower
systems and processes.
Our primary focus will be to keep our roads Thames Crossing in the south-east to the A66
running safely and smoothly, and our customers Northern Trans‑Pennine in the north-west.
informed and prepared.
highwaysengland.co.uk/5yearDeliveryplan
05 06
Operations
Our network is integral to our customers’ journeys and is the backbone of the
country’s economy, moving more freight than all other transport modes put together.
Our operational services help our customers – the public, business users, freight
hauliers, local communities and partners – travel safely and efficiently on one of the
most highly used networks in Europe.
Our operational services Delivery over the second road
period
We have wide‑ranging services operating
24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our traffic In the second road period, the number of
officers patrol our network, managing incidents people using our network is forecast to
safely and quickly. Equally, our control centres increase. Motorway traffic has grown 28% in
undertake real‑time traffic management across the last 20 years and is projected to a grow
the country. Our information systems provide a further 26% over the next 25 years. As we
customers with traffic data and alternative cannot physically increase our network to
routes, while our weather stations and winter match this growth, we will need to manage the
fleet enable safe journeys in adverse weather. pressure placed on our roads. For instance,
increased traffic is likely to cause more wear,
Through these operational services, we help potentially leading to more disruption for
our customers have shorter, and more reliable, our customers.
journeys, with the corresponding social and
economic benefits. We aim to reduce the Over the second road period, we have three
impact of any incidents and give customers main aims for operations:
the information they need so they can change, Improving safety to reduce incidents to the
defer or cancel their journeys. By delivering lowest levels possible
these services, we can work towards meeting
Creating a better customer experience
many of our performance commitments,
through keeping vehicles moving and
particularly improving safety for all and providing
improving safety
fast and reliable journeys. By improving journeys
Operating our network in an efficient and
to the nation’s ports, airports and employment
effective way, providing good value to
sites, we support the country’s economy.
the taxpayer
Traffic Officers attend to an incident, M6, West Midlands
highwaysengland.co.uk/5yearDeliveryplan
07 Operations 08
This chapter sets out our plans to make In response to government's smart motorways We want to make our roads more accessible We are already improving customer information
improvements in the following areas: stocktake, we will also deliver a number of for all those who use them. Every day, for on diversion routes. Our new roadside signs will
Keeping our network moving through the improvements. We will make changes to traffic example, drivers with a disability make around help customers understand where they are on
work of our frontline services officer patrols on smart motorways where the 200,000 journeys on our network. National the diversion route and the distance until they
existing spacing between safe places to stop in statistics suggest that there could be a further rejoin our network.
Supporting better end‑to‑end journeys
an emergency is more than one mile. Our aim 600,000 journeys taking place with a disabled
Improving the information we provide to We will develop our use of real‑time feedback
is to reduce attendance time from an average passenger. We are working with a wide range of
customers to improve our services. This will include, for
of 17 minutes to 10 minutes and reach those partners to understand the barriers experienced
Upgrading our fleet who need assistance quicker. Roll out will start by disabled people who travel by road. example, engaging with our customers to
Helping customers travel safely in winter as soon as possible with full coverage of the find out their views on the Dartford Crossing
Improving environmental performance and relevant elements of our network by July 2021. We have learnt that we can support better Charge, road schemes and our traffic officers.
helping make journeys more sustainable journeys by providing clear and relevant advice
We will also support DfT with their review through accessible contact channels. We are We will also refresh our Stakeholder
Modernising our information technology engagement plan by the end of 2022-23 to
of whether recovery vehicles can use red also building inclusivity into how we operate
systems demonstrate how we engage with our key
flashing lights. our roads, including training our traffic officers
Replacing our control centre technology to provide on-road support for people with audiences and stakeholders.
Rolling out Operational Excellence Supporting better end‑to‑end journeys physical, cognitive and mental disabilities.
Few journeys start and end on our network. In response to government's Smart motorway
Keeping our network moving through the We will work in partnership with others to Improving the information we provide to safety evidence stocktake and action plan, we
work of our frontline services support smooth and delay‑free journeys from customers will also deliver the following improvements:
We will reduce delays by clearing motorway beginning to end. This will help us better We already receive over 40,000 calls a month
We will install more traffic signs between
incidents as soon as possible. Our traffic manage unplanned disruptions, for example through our customer contact centre. These
places to stop in an emergency. By March
officers safely manage incidents, coordinate identifying alternative routes more efficiently, calls range from requests for traffic information
2023 these will typically be between
responses and clear the roads, reducing the reducing congestion and preventing secondary and land enquiries, to insurance‑related claims
approximately 330 and 440 yards apart.
risk of secondary accidents. Our analysis shows accidents. and CCTV queries. Equally, our control centres
that this frontline service delivers an average To improve public perception and increase
carry out traffic monitoring and management,
saving of over 15 minutes per attended incident. Despite the forecast increase in traffic volumes, understanding of driving on motorways
including signalling for incidents, roadworks
Traffic officers attend and support vulnerable our ambition is for there to be no increase in without hard shoulders, including smart
and congestion. Our control centre operators
customers at breakdowns, clear debris, set average delay times. We will, for example, use motorways, we will develop a multi channel
take roadside assistance calls from the public
signs and reopen closed routes when safe to smart motorways to manage traffic flow at 'emergency aware' driver campaign. We will
and communicate with emergency and vehicle
do so. peak times. We will also improve our incident work in partnership with DfT as well as other
recovery services, as well as deploying the
management capabilities and our coordination key stakeholders including the recovery
right people from our teams. They use Twitter
We recognise the roadside rescue and recovery of and communication about roadwork and insurance industry, Driver and Vehicle
to engage with our customers, keeping them
industry as an essential service and we will closures. We will maintain our focus on longer Standards Agency and the police. The
informed and answering questions.
work closely with them to keep the network duration incidents, completing debriefs as well campaign will include an advert aired across
moving. During the second road period we as sharing opportunities to improve, always We will work with stakeholders and customers prime-time television, video on demand,
will share information, improve communication keeping customers’ welfare at the forefront to identify the type and quality of information radio, out of home and social media
of operational procedures and promote safe of our minds. We will regularly report on our they need. We will develop our contact advertising. We will launch the campaign
working practices within our newly formed performance, including quarterly on incident channels to ensure they meet these needs. As once traffic levels have stabilised following
working groups. clearance times. We will be transparent about part of this work, we will, for example, increase the impact of Covid-19.
our activities and publish supporting metrics, the use of voice recognition to help customers Using our stopped vehicle detection system,
We are committed to delivering our frontline
such as network availability and regional access information through self‑serve channels, we plan to roll out the automatic display of
services in a more effective way to increase
delay reports. and implement our video relay service to a ‘report of obstruction’ message. This will
capacity and improve our customer service.
support customers with hearing difficulties. warn oncoming drivers of a stopped vehicle
ahead. We are already trialling this on the
M25, and expect to start the full roll out of
automation by the end of 2022.
09 Operations 10
We will engage with car manufacturers As severe delays increase vehicle emissions,
by November 2020 to understand how our work to improve journey planning and
we can help build greater awareness and reduce congestion will provide environmental
understanding of ‘eCall’ or SOS buttons. benefits. We will also aim to reduce our own
Increasing numbers of new cars come operational carbon emissions through more
with these buttons, which can be used to effective fuel and energy management, including
call for help in the event of a breakdown or considering the vehicles we use in our fleet.
emergency anywhere on the roads – not just
on smart motorways. When incidents do occur, for example flooding
or accidental spillages, we will have systems in
Upgrading our fleet place to manage the potential negative impacts.
We will upgrade our fleet of maintenance and
support vehicles to help maintain our network We know that litter harms the environment, is
and provide a good service to customers. an eyesore and puts our people at risk when
It is important that the vehicles we use are they collect it. Over the second road period, we
cost effective, reliable and versatile, as well as will clean our top 25 litter hotspots twice a year,
contributing to meeting government’s Road while still monitoring all other locations. If they
to zero strategy. We will aim to use ultra‑low fall below our standards, we will clear them.
emission or electric vehicles that have the
Modernising our information technology
capability to meet our towing requirements.
systems
Helping customers travel safely in winter Our National Traffic Information Service gathers
We will invest in a new fleet of winter vehicles detailed data from across our network to
to salt and plough our network. This vital provide estimated journey times, which we use
service will help keep our roads available in bad to help manage operations and set diversion
weather or, in the case of significant snowfall, routes. This helps inform our customers,
return them to normal as quickly as possible. enabling them to make better choices for their
We will also upgrade our weather stations. We journeys. We will replace this service during
will use these to provide data to forecasters, the second year of the road period, helping
who in turn will help our maintenance providers us improve our information services while
and others to determine when and how to treat reducing costs.
our network. Our fleet and weather stations will
In the second road period, we will also complete
also be critical to delivering safe operations and
our National Roads Telecommunications
supporting the traffic information provided by
Services transformation programme. We will
our national traffic operations centre.
fit cabling alongside our network and use
Improving environmental performance and fibre optic cables and digital technology to
helping make journeys more sustainable improve and future-proof our services. This will
We aim to promote a more sustainable future as help us ensure capacity for future needs, as
well as improve the environmental performance well as deliver our ambition for digital roads:
of our operational activities. a concept based on using connectivity, data
and technology to improve the way the SRN
is designed, built, operated and used. This
includes supporting the trial and development of
connected and autonomous vehicles.
Traffic Officer on patrol, A1(M), County Durham
11 Operations 12
For schemes where there is no existing fibre The law has now changed to enable Rolling out Operational Excellence Through introducing automation and more
cabling, we will roll out our wireless roadside automatic detection and enforcement of Operational Excellence is an internal efficient ways of working, we will better manage
National Roads Telecommunications Services. ‘Red X’ violations using cameras. The vast programme of initiatives and best practice our asset information, reducing the number of
As wireless services require significantly majority of drivers comply with Red X signs across our business, including people, manual inspections. We will establish a rigorous
less physical roadside infrastructure, we but, for the very small minority who do not, processes, systems, technology and data. approach for capturing, maintaining and using
expect that we will be able to work quickly the police have the powers to prosecute. It covers improvements ranging from how we data that provides us with a ‘single version of
and cost effectively. The penalty is three points on the driver’s manage our network and respond to incidents, the truth’. Our data analytics capabilities and
licence and a £100 fine, or the driver can through to how we measure performance cost intelligence will drive better commercial
In response to government's Smart motorway be referred to an awareness course. We and create a legacy of change and improved decisions and outcomes.
safety evidence stocktake and action plan, we have already started the work, and we will capability.
will also deliver the following improvements: complete the upgrade of all existing smart As part of Operational Excellence, we will
motorway enforcement cameras by July As part of the roll out of Operational Excellence, also combine our control centres with our
We will roll out stopped vehicle detection we will better align our operational services maintenance network control centres, currently
2023 to automatically detect such violations
to every existing all lane running smart with the delivery of larger schemes, in outsourced, to establish single regional
and enable Red X enforcement.
motorway by the end of March 2023 with line with our Asset management strategy, operations centres. This will allow us to
a clear public timeline. We have already Replacing our control centre technology published in January 2020. By integrating our respond to incidents more quickly, with close
trialled this system on two smart motorway Our control centre services have a direct impact programmes of work, and through monitoring communication and coordination between
sections of the M25. The system uses radar on customer safety by providing advance our performance, we will make better use traffic officers and maintenance crews.
technology to detect stationary vehicles. warning of incidents or slow‑moving traffic, as of network capacity, minimising impact on
It can alert a control centre operator, who well as supporting our on‑road teams. our customers.
can see the incident on camera, close
lanes and dispatch traffic officers. This will Working with the Dutch Road Authority, we We will train more of our traffic officers to review
help motorists who do have a live-lane have jointly developed requirements for the our assets as part of their safety patrols, freeing
breakdown and are unable to get to an next generation of traffic management systems: our inspectors to conduct more technical
emergency area. CHARM. While originally intended to go live assessments. Using performance data from our
We will also complete, by December 2020 during the first road period, due to complexities on‑road service, we will develop deployment
a large-scale trial of a system that analyses in delivering the system in our business and strategies from new and existing traffic officer
CCTV images. The trial will identify the technical environments, CHARM will now go live base sites to help us achieve our one‑hour
viability of using our CCTV coverage on in the second road period. incident clearance target more often.
smart motorways to provide another option
CHARM will provide a single IT platform for
alongside stopped vehicle detection.
our control centres and our national traffic
We will make information available to SatNav
operations centre. The programme will improve
providers to allow identification of emergency
our systems and supporting infrastructure,
areas on their systems, if requested. We will
preparing for future developments such as
work with providers and create a database
connected vehicles. It will also improve our
of our emergency areas to enable them
data, and help us provide our customers with
to use and display the information. We
more accurate incident information.
will provide location information to SatNav
providers by March 2021.
Customer Contact Centre, Quinton, West Midlands
13 14
Maintenance
Our network consists of many assets, which range from bridges and footpaths
to embankments and safety barriers. We support and maintain these assets
throughout their lifespan, keeping them safe for customers and road workers.
Well-managed maintenance activities reduce the need for major interventions and
potentially extend the life of assets. Effective maintenance also prevents problems,
such as large vegetation growing on an embankment which cannot support it,
reducing the disruption of unplanned works.
Routine maintenance
Our maintenance services Routine maintenance refers to the scheduled
maintenance work we carry out regularly on
Our maintenance work helps to:
our assets. Our routine activities, such as
reduce delays by clearing roads, repairing safety barrier maintenance, grass cutting, gully
damage and re opening lanes as soon as it emptying, graffiti removal and litter collection,
is safe to do are part of our proactive asset management
keep our network in good condition, by approach. They improve road safety, make
collecting litter, removing graffiti, ensuring the different parts of our network last as long
signs and signals are clear from vegetation as possible, and provide a better journey
and removing trees which may fall on our experience for customers. Our activities
roads can also help improve the environmental
reduce the impact of bad weather, including performance of our network. For example, reduce
minimising flooding by ensuring water can removing grass cuttings from roadside verges delays
reduce
drain away can help species‑rich grasslands to grow,
impact of
supporting biodiversity. By regularly emptying of
Our maintenance work generally falls into two bad weather
gullies we can also reduce the risk of flooding.
categories: routine maintenance and reactive
maintenance. Reactive maintenance Maintenance improve
Reactive maintenance refers to any unexpected services network
maintenance work required on our assets. Our
condition
reactive activities, such as emergency repairs
from spillages or incident response, cover improve
unforeseen, urgent action needed to make our safety
network safe. Our traffic officers also carry out
maintenance activities, ranging from clearing improve the
large spills to reviewing our assets for any environment
issues. Some of our seasonal activities also
require an unplanned response, for example in
response to extreme weather. Bridge maintenance, Orwell Bridge, Suffolk
highwaysengland.co.uk/5yearDeliveryplan
15 Maintenance 16
We have already started investigating how We will also develop and implement more Managing our soft estate
Delivery over the second road we can bring together asset renewal activities robust environmental management procedures In addition to our assets such as bridges, roads
period with general maintenance work. This will help and practices. This will increase opportunities and signs, we have a soft estate of almost
us complete even more activities every time for us to improve environmental outcomes 30,000 hectares of land. Running alongside
We anticipate that the second road period
we work on our network, lowering cost and and help us deliver all maintenance activities our roads, these diverse and multi‑functional
will be more challenging from a maintenance
reducing the frequency of lane closures. in a way that complies with our legislative landscapes are home to a range of plants and
perspective than the first. Demand for our
requirements. habitats, contributing to the biodiversity of
network is increasing, and many of our During the first road period, we launched our estate. They also screen roads and help
assets are nearing the end of their life and Asset Delivery: our approach to maintaining We will, in particular, develop a more proactive integrate them into the wider landscape.
may need more frequent maintenance before and improving our assets, and generating approach to addressing flood risk and
renewal. Despite this, we intend to keep better data. Asset Delivery is already changing improving our network’s resilience to climate In the second road period, we will deliver routine
a flat maintenance funding level, without how we deliver our services and contract with change. For example, we will improve the maintenance activities around our soft estate
compromising safety or network availability, as our supply chain. Through this approach, resilience of our concrete pavements to which are essential for increasing safety. Cutting
we match increases in costs with efficiencies we are bringing in‑house some of the early prolonged high temperatures as part of our grass or looking after vegetation, for example,
in how we work. We have also allocated a maintenance activities, and working more maintenance and renewals programme, taking can avoid sightlines being obscured, helping
significant share of our maintenance funding closely and efficiently with our supply chain. remedial action where necessary. drivers read signs and react to traffic. We will
to the emergency repairs needed to deal with We are managing maintenance operations identify and explore different approaches to
unexpected incidents, such as fuel spillages. in a more coordinated way, as well as giving capturing data and managing our soft estate,
greater direction around the actions we ask our supporting our biodiversity objectives as well as
Over the second road period, we will make
supply chain to complete. Asset Delivery also our health and safety priorities.
improvements in the following areas:
enables us to benchmark cost and productivity
Delivering data‑driven maintenance information between our suppliers and regions.
Improving environmental performance Using a new information system, we will be able
Managing our soft estate to evaluate the cost of different outputs and
make comparisons nationally.
Delivering data‑driven maintenance
Proactive maintenance is central to our journey To date, we have rolled out Asset Delivery in
to becoming an excellent asset manager. eight of our twelve maintenance areas, and
During the second road period, we will take undertaken a phased transfer of responsibility in
greater control of our maintenance programme, two further areas. We will roll out this approach
including drainage cleaning, grass cutting to the remaining two areas throughout the
and litter collection, and improve our asset second road period.
monitoring. We already collect our own data to
Improving environmental performance
develop insights and we are carrying out more
We aim to improve the environmental impact of
asset inspections, allowing us to refresh our
maintaining our network, as well as protect and
data at a greater rate.
improve our surrounding environment. During
During the second road period, we will make the second road period, with the roll-out of
better use of this data to understand, and Asset Delivery, we will look to introduce stronger
predict, our maintenance requirements. This will environmental requirements in our contracts.
allow us to intervene early, before degradation
becomes a problem. It will also allow us to
schedule maintenance in a cost‑effective way,
combining tasks into work packages.
Environmental study, A590, Cumbria17 18
Capital renewals
To keep traffic flowing smoothly, we need to keep our roads and supporting
infrastructure in good condition. Well‑planned renewals are essential to safeguard,
maintain and modernise our network, much of which dates back to the 1960s
and 1970s. When Highways England was created in 2015, we were asked by
government to develop longer-term commitments to capital renewals. We have
since moved towards a ‘whole‑life’ approach to managing our assets and a more
mature, longer-term understanding of asset need.
Our renewals activities Delivery over the second road
period
We carry out around 2,000 renewals activities M60 junction 14 Worsley Braided Interchange, Lancashire
every year. These support safe, free-flowing In the second road period, we will increase
traffic on our roads. We will ensure that every investment in renewals activity to pre‑empt
asset is: potential problems as some assets near the Greater clarity of spend, improved asset Improved environmental performance
in a safe, stable condition end of their life. With the forecast increase in management and better use of decision Undertaken sympathetically, renewals should
traffic volumes, frequent access to our network support tools will help us provide good value enhance the surrounding environment and
able to fulfil its intended safety purpose
is likely to become increasingly difficult. We for money. As we move towards even more improve design. In the second road period, we
managed and maintained to minimise risks
know therefore that we must focus on getting proactive planning, we can manage work in a will promote and embed the principles set out in
to customers and impacts on other assets
the right balance of proactive and preventative more sophisticated way. Our inspection and The road to good design, published in January
managed and maintained to improve maintenance and early renewals. planning teams will work together to make sure 2018. We will develop an effective management
environmental performance
that, when we undertake renewals activity, we system to carry out renewals across our nine
Our capital renewals plan for the second road
We are developing an updated Asset minimise disruption. Our growing understanding asset classes, while being respectful of people
period covers nine asset classes. It reflects
management development plan. This will of long‑term asset needs is already enabling us and place, protecting the surroundings and
our understanding of current asset condition
describe our improvements to better connect to programme secondary activities alongside supporting improved performance. We will
and future need, and balances available funds,
our activities across our assets' lifecycles, from main schemes, delivering better value. design our renewals activity, for example, to
performance and our Licence commitments.
creation and maintenance through to operation be more carbon efficient and to reduce the
We have set out cyclical renewals for each This chapter sets out our plan for the following
and renewal. By improving our understanding requirement for carbon-intensive equipment.
class, and major renewals for concrete roads, areas:
of our assets, our plan will also help us We will also investigate incorporating emissions
large structures and safety barriers.
mitigate risks. Improved environmental performance standards into new and existing contracts
Cyclical renewals for our suppliers’ maintenance vehicles and
Major renewals associated reporting requirements.
highwaysengland.co.uk/5yearDeliveryplan19 Capital renewals 20
Renewals assets Structures Drainage
We have a diverse range of structures in our There is an ever‑increasing pressure on our
portfolio. These range from small drains and drainage systems. Poor drainage affects the
Safety barriers Tunnels gantries to exceptionally complex structures, performance of our roads and creates a safety
such as the Thelwall Viaduct in Warrington and risk. Our drainage system mitigates the risk of
Lighting the Severn Bridges linking England and Wales. flooding to and from our network and reduces
Road signs,
markings and barriers pollution to the environment. Our drainage
We carry out formal inspections of our portfolio consists of:
structures every two years, collecting,
Road signals, around 24,000 miles of continuous assets,
and technology evaluating and prioritising defects. Our
such as pipes and ditches
renewals programme is primarily based on
about 1.4 million point assets, for example
safety requirements identified through these
chambers and gullies
inspections. Where possible, we combine
schemes and share traffic management over 1,000 other assets, such as ponds
to support efficient planning and minimise
These assets collect, store and move
disruption for drivers.
Structures surface water runoff from the road and
For many years, we have predominantly geotechnical assets to the ground and surface
Road surfaces:
maintained the condition of our structures water systems.
asphalt and concrete
through cyclical renewals activity. Our planned
In the second road period, we will focus on
Drainage Geotechnical works for the second road period will safeguard
improving how we remove surface water from
condition, mitigating unscheduled disruptions
our network, particularly in high-risk flooding
and lengthy diversions.
areas. Our proactive cleaning programme clears
Safety barriers debris and will play a crucial part in our drainage
Cyclical renewals Most of our network is currently covered in There are three main types of safety barriers: renewals plan. We will also use emerging
We have developed a programme of routine asphalt. We already collect data on surface wire, steel and concrete. Our safety barrier technologies to increase our understanding of
repair and replacement of our assets. This condition and our renewals need is broadly assets are over 7,500 miles long, predominately our assets.
will help keep them in optimum condition steady. In the second road period, we will constructed before 1980 in steel. They are
Geotechnical
throughout their life. More details are provided manage a renewals programme to keep our a critical safety asset, reducing the risk to
Geotechnical assets are the earthworks
against each asset class in the following pages. surfaces in good condition, providing similar customers involved in incidents and collisions.
below the road surface and the neighbouring
volumes of road surface to the amount we They are estimated to reduce crossover
Road surfaces land. They are a critical part of our network,
delivered in the first road period. Our data incidents by more than 40%.
Road surfaces, also known as pavement, are supporting the carriageway, structures and
will enable us to make informed decisions
the fundamental building block of our road Over the second road period, we will assess the the safe and reliable operation of the SRN. In
around the type of intervention we will need to
system. They transfer the load from vehicles to condition of our safety barriers. We will upgrade many instances, our geotechnical assets also
undertake.
the ground or structure beneath, enable safe certain sections of the central reservation support communications equipment, some
and comfortable journeys, and shed surface This could, for example, include deeper from steel to concrete, which offers greater of which is owned by third parties such as
water. The condition of these surfaces is a interventions where it is considered appropriate. safety features. These works will ensure our utility companies.
key contributor to road safety and customer We will consider customer impact when making reservations perform to the highest standards.
satisfaction, predominantly in the first lane where decisions about renewals as the type of material
heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) damage the used can have a direct impact on noise. Much
surface more quickly. The lifespan of our road of our resurfacing activity is also now possible
surfaces is relatively short, and deterioration is during overnight closures, reducing disruption
well understood. on our roads.21 Capital renewals 22
Our geotechnical assets are high value and including of the safety‑related infrastructure These assets help our customers travel more Concrete roads
relatively young, well designed and stable. such as CCTV, air quality monitoring, smoke safely. Road signs and markings provide user Concrete road surfaces have very different
We will monitor their condition and make and fire detection and vehicle detection. The information, particularly at night when they characteristics to asphalt. Concrete is stable
risk-based interventions, as needed. We will operational response equipment also needs to separate and guide traffic. Many of our road for a long time after construction, needing far
invest in research to improve and develop be carefully managed, including fans, lighting, signs and markings have a short lifespan, less intervention, and it has a significantly longer
our understanding of potential failure across motorway signalling and barriers. There are particularly in high traffic areas. Effective lifespan. Failure of concrete road surfaces is,
our network and put measures in place to often few practical local diversion routes, maintenance has been proven to reduce the however, more absolute than asphalt and it is
reduce risk. This includes improving resilience which increases the need for carefully planned frequency and severity of traffic incidents. Our far harder to predict and monitor.
in locations of greatest need, or where failure renewals works to minimise disruption. plan is based on our understanding of how
would impact network availability. assets degrade. Few significant works have taken place on our
We carry out structural inspections every two concrete roads since they were constructed
Lighting years on all tunnels; collecting, evaluating and Road signals and technology from the 1960s onwards, and many of these
Our lighting assets include road, sign prioritising defects. We use the inspection We use our road signals and technology assets roads are now nearing the end of their life. Over
and subway lighting, as well as columns data, together with our knowledge, to develop to monitor the SRN, inform our customers and the next 25 years, we will complete a large
and bollards. effective maintenance programmes. Our plan control traffic movement. Our assets include programme of renewals. Our plan sets out a
is tailored to meet the specific requirements of signs, cameras and weather data collection strategy to reconstruct all our legacy concrete
Our lighting plan balances the safety of each tunnel within our control. We will update systems. road surfaces in a managed way, modelled over
our roads with the need to reduce our our tunnel systems to make them compatible five road periods.
environmental footprint and improve our impact and aligned with wider improvements across The condition of our road signals and
on neighbouring communities. Maintaining our our network. We will consider how we can technology assets is key to the safe operation Structures
lighting with energy-efficient alternatives such as better align operational control of all eleven of our network, especially on roads with all We have over 21,000 structures on our
LED lights will reduce local light pollution. They tunnels as a collective group, and set the lane running. Our plan sets out the increasing network, such as bridges and gantries, many
need to be replaced less frequently, and will standard for new tunnels. need for these assets. This is directly linked of which were built at similar times. We have
help us meet our corporate carbon reduction to the growth of smart motorways, which use forecast that some of our largest structures
targets. We have also developed an approach Tunnels use more energy per mile, due to electronic road signage as a way of safely will need significant work over the coming
to recycling materials for all interventions, which the technology within them, than any other managing traffic. While the total length of years to counteract the effects of weather and
will further help us reduce our carbon footprint. part of our network. We are committed to our network has not changed, the volume of general wear and tear. We have prioritised our
reducing our environmental footprint in this technology assets is increasing and therefore renewals programme using expert advice and
Tunnels area. We will make significant savings in carbon renewals investment needs to grow. We will knowledge, balanced against our aim to limit
Our portfolio includes 11 tunnels, five of which emissions and running costs by replacing manage renewals in line with technological disruption to drivers.
are currently managed by us: Roundhill, lighting and other systems with more energy development, ensuring that our assets operate
Hindhead, Saltash, Southwick and Meir. Our efficient alternatives. We will also use our to the highest standard. Safety barriers
other tunnels are managed by Private Finance innovative approach to recycling materials A significant proportion of our safety barriers
Initiatives (PFIs). Tunnels are potentially the for all interventions. Major renewals are now reaching the end of their service life
most hazardous part of our network; they offer We have identified three asset classes which and require replacement. We have developed
limited access if incidents occur, and present Road signs, markings and barriers will need an increase in investment during the a programme of renewals for the second road
challenges around controlling fumes and other Known as street furniture, this diverse asset second road period: period which will challenge us to deliver better
pollutants. They require careful operation, class includes road markings, road studs, value for our customers.
non‑electronic signs, fences, barriers and
pedestrian guard rails.23 Capital renewals 24
Our long‑term policy is to upgrade old steel
safety barriers with concrete barriers; these
are more effective and have a longer lifespan.
As the installation cost of concrete is higher,
our programme of works will balance risk with
affordability. We will install concrete barriers in
locations where there is a high risk of vehicle M27 Romsey Road Bridge
strikes and crossovers, and use steel barriers at
other, lower-risk sites. In 2019‑20, we replaced the M27 Romsey Road
Bridge outside Southampton, which carries a local
A‑road over the M27 near junction 3. The M27
carries traffic to and from Cadnam and Portsmouth,
Major renewals deliverables 2020-25 and is a major tourism route. It also connects
regional airports, international gateways and ports,
Safety barriers including transporting freight for the docks and
170 957 miles
passengers for the cruise ships in Southampton.
major structures
steel barriers After identifying cracks in the structural beams, we
imposed a 26‑tonne weight limit over the bridge as a
50 miles safety precaution. Following detailed investigations,
concrete barriers
we fully replaced the bridge deck. This option offered
the best long‑term value both in cost and the level of
disruption that would be experienced.
Road surface
4,660 miles
asphalt surface
78 miles
concrete surface
M27 Romsey Road Bridge, Southampton, Hampshiret25 26
Enhancements
We will consider the environment in every We identified our new enhancement schemes
aspect of our schemes, from design through to through engagement with the public and key
completion and ongoing maintenance, building stakeholders. This engagement informed
on our progress from the first road period. our Route strategies and our investment
We will work to ensure there is no net loss of prioritisation process, which in turn created
biodiversity across our enhancement activities a long list of potential schemes. We use our
In some locations, there are challenges which cannot be solved through improved by 2025. We want to encourage economic Route strategies to present a high-level view of
growth while protecting the environment, performance and constraints on our existing
operations, maintenance and renewals, or investment in local roads. In these
improving safety and quality of life for current network as well as to recommend areas for
cases, new or improved connections are needed. Major enhancement schemes and future generations. We will refresh our further study. We also conducted Strategic
are a crucial element of our balanced investment portfolio, with new enhancements Sustainable development strategy by the end of studies, which consider areas where we
reducing journey times, increasing reliability and improving connectivity. They will 2022-23, and use this to help us improve our need longer-term plans to anticipate future
network in line with our sustainability goals. problems. These studies also look to address
bolster our network’s capacity and resilience, and drive economic growth, providing
government’s leading priorities:
opportunities for people and businesses across the country. Completing the enhancements started in
the first road period Improving connectivity across the Pennines
In our Delivery plan for the first road period, between cities in the north of England
published in 2015, we set out an ambitious Identifying packages of small schemes
Over the second road period, we will sustain
Summary of delivery over the rolling programme of investment. We have that can be developed to support the M60
up to 64,000 jobs in the construction industry
second road period made significant progress to date, with 36 Manchester North-West Quadrant
and add £27 billion to the country's society and
schemes now open for traffic. This has added
economy. Our enhancements programme will Supporting plans proposed by the National
We will invest £14.2 billion of capital funding over 370 lane miles of capacity to the SRN.
be the largest contributor to these benefits. Infrastructure Commission around the A1 in
across our network through:
the east
The remaining schemes will, due to their scale
We will open many schemes which will improve
completing the enhancements started in the and complexity, form a significant volume of Increasing motorway capacity around
our network’s integration with transport
first road period work early in the second road period. London and Manchester
hubs, such as the M56 junctions 6 to 8 near
starting new enhancements Supporting the emerging economic corridor
Manchester Airport and A63 Castle Street Starting new enhancements
continuing our Smart Motorway Programme between Oxford and Cambridge
near the Port of Hull. We will also consider
In the second road period, we will start work on
links to wider transport modes, including bus We will also work to develop a pipeline of
We believe our investment programme is 12 new major enhancement schemes across
and coach facilities, pedestrian crossings and over 30 schemes for consideration in future
ambitious and deliverable. We have engaged the country. These include schemes such as
cycle routes. road periods. This will ensure we are ready to
with stakeholders across the country, including M60/M62/M66 Simister Island interchange,
sub-national transport bodies, to develop a north of Manchester, the Lower Thames upgrade our roads in 2025 and beyond. We
We will work to minimise disruption as part of
programme which will meet government's Crossing, and our A417 Air Balloon scheme in will only progress schemes to delivery if they
our delivery. We will, for example, set 60mph
priorities and deliver benefits across all regions. Gloucestershire. We began development on five provide value for money.
speed limits within roadworks across our major
The full list of schemes, including timelines, schemes, where possible. of these in the first road period. We estimate
Our approach to smart motorways
can be found in Annex B as part of the our delivery of these schemes will result in
In the second road period, we will make
performance framework. £6.7 billion of benefit across England, including
significant progress in connecting our biggest
reducing average journey times through
cities through smart motorways. This will
affected areas and preventing road accidents.
connect England’s major economic centres
Our programme is based on these schemes
from London and the south-east to the
demonstrating value for money and achieving
West Midlands, north-west and Yorkshire.
the necessary statutory approvals.
highwaysengland.co.uk/5yearDeliveryplan27 Enhancements 28
Smart motorways increase capacity on some installing more emergency areas on existing
of the busiest sections of our network and smart motorways. This will build on lessons Delivering our enhancement schemes
relieve congestion. They lay the foundations for learnt from the M25 programme around
technological advances, as well as helping us the practicalities and impact of additional Over the second road period, we will deliver our
work towards our digital roads vision. emergency areas on an operational smart enhancement schemes through the following programmes:
motorway, as well as the wider implications
Government published its Smart motorway of a national programme. 1. Smart Motorways Programme
safety evidence stocktake and action plan in We will deliver all new smart motorways through this
We will continue to monitor our network,
March 2020. We will take forward the actions programme. We will use our alliance model for procurement
as a whole, as per our Licence agreement.
set out by the Secretary of State, which are – a model which allows us to partner with all the suppliers
Should a cluster of road traffic accidents
detailed below: we need to safely design, assemble and manage smart
be identified, we will investigate and, where
required, take action. motorway technology. This new procurement approach will
We will end the use of dynamic hard
enable us to safely deliver schemes, while working more
shoulder smart motorways, upgrading Some existing emergency areas are
efficiently by reducing design costs, minimising construction
them to all lane running by converting the narrower than the current 15 foot
time and streamlining workforce planning.
hard shoulder into a permanent traffic lane. standard when measured from the edge
We will upgrade all existing dynamic hard of the carriageway, although they are still 2. Complex Infrastructure Programme
shoulder motorways by March 2025. We significantly wider than a traditional 11-foot We will use this programme to deliver our more complex
know that some road users are not always hard shoulder. We will evaluate all existing and higher value major enhancement schemes. Each above
clear whether the hard shoulder is in use on emergency areas identified to be less than £500 million in estimated cost, these schemes will be
dynamic hard shoulder stretches of smart the 15-foot wide standard by October 2020 focused on nationally important infrastructure. They will be
motorway; all lane running will provide a and, if feasible and appropriate, widen to the subject to staged approvals by DfT. We will work closely
more consistent experience for motorists. current standard. with government in their development and delivery, and also
We have already implemented a design We have updated all existing emergency consult with stakeholders and local communities.
standard that reduced the distance between areas on our smart motorways to have a
bright orange road surface and dotted lines, 3. Regional Investment Programme
safe places to stop in an emergency to a
maximum of one mile. We now propose as well as better and more frequent signs on We will use this programme to deliver our enhancement
that, where feasible, the maximum spacing approach showing where to stop. schemes focused on tackling regional problems around
should be ¾ mile. This new standard will be We will investigate what more can be done safety, congestion and capacity. These schemes can be
applied to future schemes when they enter on the M6 Bromford viaduct and sections complicated and varied, requiring a sensitive approach for
the design stage from November 2020. of the M1 identified in the stocktake. We the surrounding environments and communities.
will assess these sections to understand They include:
We will construct 10 additional emergency
areas on the M25 by December 2020. These contributory factors and consider if there upgrading A roads
will be on the sections of smart motorway are potential further suitable interventions improving motorway and A road junctions and link roads
with a higher rate of live lane stops which by November 2020. This work is already providing new carriageways for motorways and A roads
coincides with the biggest spacing between underway and we will share findings with DfT
places to stop in an emergency We will before the end of 2020.
closely monitor and evaluate the impact of We will also continue with our ongoing safety
these additional emergency areas on the monitoring to evaluate whether existing and
level of live lane stops. new smart motorways are as safe as, or
Following the installation and evaluation safer than the conventional motorways they
of the 10 additional emergency areas on replaced. We will provide annual reporting
the M25, we will review by March 2022 from October 2020.
the impact of a national programme for
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