The Department for Transport has signed off its contributions to road improvements schemes in Wiltshire, Leeds, Essex and Buckinghamshire will see faster journeys thanks to £90 million of government funding to upgrade 4 major road schemes in England.
The four schemes securing approval are:
- A350 Chippenham Bypass phases 4 and 5 in Wiltshire
- A647 Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass in Leeds
- South East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR) in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
- A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange in Essex.
MJ Church was named preferred contractor for the £20.7m contract for the final phases of dualling the A350 at Chippenham back in December 2023. Approval had been expected a year ago.
Phases 4 and 5 of this project will turn the remaining single carriageway sections of the A350 at Chippenham into dual carriageways, while also improving Bumpers Farm Roundabout. The project will give easier access to and from Bumpers Farm industrial estate, and improve journey times on the A350, which is a key route from the M4 to the south coast.
The A647 Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass in Pudsey, Leeds is a £43m scheme with £36m coming from the DfT. The scheme was granted planning permission in October 2022 and the business case was submitted to the DfT in March 2024.
Subject to contractor approvals the main works are planned to start later this year and will take up to 15 months to complete.
Buckinghamshire Council awarded Galliford Try an £88.9m contract to complete the South East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR) in September 2024. The project, which has already started, will see the construction of 1.1 miles of dual carriageway including three new roundabout junctions, linking the A413 Wendover Road with the Stoke Mandeville Relief Road, and easing congestion in the centre of the town.
The A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange in Essex is a £59m scheme, with £15m coming from the DfT. The junction improvement is needed because of housing developments in the area giving rise to more traffic.
Essex County Council said: “Now the additional money is confirmed, we will appoint a contractor. The work will start shortly after this and is expected to take around two years.”
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.”
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