Major upgrade on the cards for A49 and A41 in Shropshire
Two of Shropshire’s major roads could get vital improvements through Government plans to set up a national, major roads network.
The A49 and A41 north of Shrewsbury are included in a map of the proposed network, which if agreed could make them eligible for money to pay for improvement schemes.
Shropshire Council’s deputy leader said that not only would the inclusion of the two north Shropshire roads help the area’s economy by relieving congestion, it could also help the county’s strategic road network, including the A5, acting as an alternative route.
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Councillor Steve Charmley is urging people to take part in the consultation, and to use it to press for help for all three roads.
He said: “This is potentially very good news for Shropshire. The more people that take part in the consultation the more we flag up the problems of our main roads. It takes very little time to take part in the consultation which could have long term benefits for Shropshire.”
Transport secretary, Chris Grayling said the Government had allocated more than £61 billion in capital investment for transport infrastructure up to 2020/21.
He said: “We propose to create a major road network, of approximately the same mileage as the strategic road network for which Highways England is responsible.
“We propose to create a specific new funding stream which will be dedicated to investing in this network. The Government cannot deliver this programme in isolation and involving local and regional interests will ensure that the improvements are of most value to the economy.
“Improving the roads in this network will enable more reliable travel for road users, more certainty over freight deliveries and more capacity for the journeys which are the lifeblood of our economy. This investment can improve quality of life by opening up land to allow much-needed housing and the development of bypasses to relieve communities of intrusive traffic.
“It could reduce traffic jams and bottlenecks, support economic growth and contribute to a positive economic impact that is felt across the regions.”
Mr Grayling said a major road network would support the strategic road network.
He said: “It would complement and support the existing strategic road network by creating a more resilient road network in England. The Government will look to local and regional bodies to work together to develop packages.”and prioritise packages of interventions for consideration.
“The entire road network would work more effectively if a portion of the National Roads Fund were to be dedicated for local authority major roads as well as the strategic road network. This would help close the funding gap between the two sets of roads.
“We need to upgrade and enhance the local road network, making it better able to cope with demand by adding capacity to reduce congestion and crowding. Main road network investments will make journeys more comfortable and reliable for users, and make possible new trips that were previously impractical due to frequent or unpredictable delays.”
