£80m to tackle pinch points on local roads

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has announced £80 million of further funding to remove bottlenecks from local roads.

The funding will help tackle pinch points that clog up traffic flow and builds on the £190m already allocated earlier this year to similar local congestion-busting schemes throughout England.

Of that £80m, £25m in Government funding has been awarded to 15 schemes to help tackle bottlenecks on the local road network.

McLoughlin also announced he was inviting local councils to submit bids by the end of October for a share of the remaining £55 million being made available.

Many of the improvements are expected to be delivered in 2014 and 2015. This announcement brings the total number of schemes to receive investment from the Government's local pinch point fund to 87.

The fund is aimed at those schemes that can be delivered quickly with immediate impact.

McLoughlin said: “Keeping traffic moving is vital to securing prosperity. By removing local bottlenecks and improving access to local development sites and communities, these schemes will help get people to and from work and power the economy. They also have the potential to help deliver new jobs and homes.”

Details of the 15 schemes can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-pinch-point-fund-approved-schemes-for-tranche-3

Local councils have been invited to submit bids to help address congestion on the local road network in England, which are acting as an impediment to economic growth.

The areas benefiting from a share of the £25 million are:

• Reading



• Barnsley



• Devon (two schemes)



• Telford



• Blackburn with Darwen



• Hampshire



• Torbay



• Hammersmith and Fulham



• York



• South Gloucestershire



• Wigan



• Lincolnshire



• Stockton



• Staffordshire