Three green traffic schemes to take share of £30m innovation fund
Three traffic schemes in the South West are to take a share of a £30m fund which aims to make the UK’s roads greener.
A total of £30m is being shared out between seven new regional projects across the UK to boost innovation in decarbonising roads.
Projects aim to ensure the latest tech and innovations can reduce emissions, improve regional connectivity and accelerate the journey to net-zero local roads.
The projects have been awarded funding through the Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads competition.
The programme supports projects led by Local Highways Authorities focused on tackling the long-term decarbonisation of highways infrastructure, such as streetlights, and transforming local authorities’ approach to decarbonising roads.
The winning projects include cutting carbon emissions from our streetlights to producing asphalt made from green waste like grass cuttings.
Roads Minister Richard Holden said: “The UK is a world leader in technology and innovation and we must use that strength to both drive decarbonisation and the next generation of high tech jobs that go alongside it.
“We are supporting this vital agenda to help level-up through £30m funding for ground-breaking projects and boosting regional connections to support growth.
“The Government is determined to create good, well paid jobs – via innovation and investment across the UK – as we accelerate the road to net zero.”
The seven successful Local Highways Authorities and their partners will be provided funding, subject to due diligence, to develop, test, pilot and roll out new technologies to facilitate decarbonisation, including in supply chain emissions
A net carbon-negative model for green infrastructure management for South Gloucestershire Council and West Sussex County Council: Aims to develop a first-of-its-kind approach to creating a net carbon negative model for building and delivering green infrastructure, for example recycling biomass from green waste.
A382 Carbon Negative Project, Devon County Council: Aims to drive changes to the design, construction and maintenance in typical aspects of highway construction to reduce carbon emissions, and to build a new link road including walking and cycling options. and the legal, contractual and procurement processes) at city level to embed and adopt decarbonisation initiatives.
Net Zero Corridors, Wessex Partnership: Will pioneer net zero roads that are built without creating more carbon emissions overall in Somerset, Cornwall, and Hampshire in 9 ‘net zero corridors’ linking rural and urban areas.
