Following the government spending review announcement that transport funding is to be cut by 15% over the next four years, it has been confirmed that 16 major road and bus improvement schemes will still go ahead.
Transport secretary Philip Hammond believes the routes, which include upgrades to the M1, M60, M6 and M25, are key drivers for future growth, so cannot be axed.
"Transport is vital to securing the UK's long term prosperity," says Hammond. "That is why these schemes are so important and why I will continue to argue for investment that delivers long-term benefits for both the travelling public and the economy as a whole."
The announcement has been met with approval from the FTA (Freight Transport Association), which had identified six of the nine confirmed motorway and trunk road upgrades as essential to the UK's economic future.
"In the run-up to these announcements, FTA has been pushing the point that these transport schemes are not an optional extra, but an essential ingredient for future growth," says James Hookham, FTA's managing director of policy and communications.
"Mr Hammond's acknowledgement of transport as a key driver for such growth is very welcome as are his announcements to save priority trade routes," he adds.
