M6 north of Birmingham most in need of Government spending says freight lobby
THE M6 north of Birmingham has been singled out by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) as being one of the three sections of road infrastructure most in need of Government investment.
The FTA said it had been looking at stretches of the UK’s strategic road network in the wake of the Chancellor’s commitment in his Autumn Statement to fund improvements to congestion hot spots.
Philip Hammond said last month the Government would spend £1.3bn on improving England’s roads, including £220m on tackling congestion at pinch points and £27m on an expressway connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge.
The FTA said road delays were a constant issue for its members, more so at this time of year with more people out and about on the roads.
Its figures claim it costs around £1 a minute to run a 44-tonne truck so any hold-ups have a huge financial impact on operations.
In addition to the M6, the FTA has also identified the M60 north of Manchester and the M25 to the west of London as the other two hotspots.
The reports were compiled following a Twitter poll asking drivers which routes they thought needed most attention. The M6 narrowly came out on top with 39% of the vote, with the M25 on 37% and the M60 on 24%.
Malcolm Bingham, FTA’s Head of Road Network Management Policy, said: “Every motorist will have view on where the worst spots are on our strategic network and these figures for our poll show that there is a split opinion. It is therefore vital that we get the next programme of roads spending to address the concerns on congestion.”
