Infrastructure spending is set to almost double by 2020/21

Spending by the Highways Agency on capital enhancements is predicted to nearly double within the next two years following new investment according to Glenigan Construction data.

In the period from 2018/19 spending for the Highways Agency came to a figure of £1.79Bn and is predicted to soar to £2.23Bn by 2019/2020 and £3.11Bn by 2020/21. These statistics arise as Glenigan Construction data revealed that, between January 2019 and April 2019, the value of underlying starts in the infrastructure sector increased by 51% while planning approvals for projects had risen by 13%.

This optimistic forecast has been attributed to various infrastructure projects that are set to occupy the sector for the next two years. Such projects include the £64.5M improvements to Junction 10 of the M6 and the £189.5M East-West Link Road which was commissioned by the Lancashire County Council.

As well as this, there is a £1Bn project in place to convert single lane sections of the A66 northern trans-Pennine route into dual carriageway segments and a further £1.4Bn investment to improve the Black Cat roundabout between Milton Keynes and Cambridge.

And finally, spending of £112M on links between the M54 and M6 to reduce congestion will begin in early 2021 while £500M will be spent on each of the project constructing the new A358 and A417 in the South West.

The prosperity to which these projects allude was overshadowed recently by the Welsh government’s decision to abandon construction of a £1.4Bn relief road to prevent congestion on the M4 around the Newport area.

But, nonetheless, UK infrastructure and civil engineering have a productive future ahead, courtesy of the governments recent Road Investment Strategy (RIS), which the above projects are all a part of.

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