Tag: a46

• Tunnel spared from deadly cuts

  With the fallout from the shelving of two National Highways road schemes continuing, the BBC’s reporting has reflected to some extent the fact that not everyone thinks new roads are a good idea, although thankfully the Lower Thames Crossing has been spared!

  In the midlands, the BBC asks a question that presumes that new roads are a good idea:

  Is the East Midlands being neglected again with scrapped road schemes?

  The article focuses on regional mayor Claire Ward, who is still cross:

  Ward felt she’d been making progress on behalf of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, securing, for example, £2bn of funding for local transport projects in last year’s Spending Review.
  
  So what has gone wrong?

  So far we have “neglected” and “wrong” but if you can read past what fascist reform thinks there are at least alternative voices:

  The road schemes are not universally popular, either, and local campaign groups have long argued against them on environmental grounds.
  
  Paul Smith, who chairs the parish council in the village of Winthorpe, near the A46 Newark bypass, says “a lot of people are relieved”.

  

  And the article links to an earlier article with Derby City Council leader Nadine Peatfield questioning the case for if the “recently shelved A38 scheme” in the city, and comment from Adrian Howlett, from the Stop the A38 expansion group:

  Howlett said the group was “disappointed” that there had been no announcement that other options would be explored, and described the current scheme as “completely outdated”.
  
  He added: “Let’s actually get some investment into Derby that isn’t just a massive roads-dependent scheme and actually looks at all the options.”

  Which is a reminder that the shelving of the two schemes is not the government seeing sense, just cutting transport investment.

  (more…)

  2026.07.03

• Is “uncommitted” road safety funding under threat?

  We’ve now worked backwards to the point where the government is still not being straight about shelving road schemes in the road investment strategy (RIS 3) and is looking to cut other “uncommitted” roads funding – on safety perhaps?

  Early yesterday people were working backwards from news that National Highways had cancelled its £300m contract with Skanska to build the A46 Newark Bypass.

  As I reported, the Department for Transport, which knew very well what was going on, was referring enquiries to National Highways, on the grounds that it was a supply chain issue.

  It then emerged that the decision had come from the other end as National Highways referred me to “The Defence Investment Plan Funding explainer”, which said:

  DfT will provide savings of up to £700m from its roads funding. The Department will consult on reductions to the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) – including the potential cancellation of the A38 Derby Junctions and A46 Newark Bypass schemes, both of which are yet to enter contract and not as far along as other road schemes. There will be stakeholder consultations before any final decision is taken.

  Utterly gutless and inept. The Treasury doesn’t seem to realise that the A46 scheme is not “yet to enter contract”. There may not have been notice to proceed with the works but the contract was there and had to be cancelled. Maybe someone conflated “contract” with “construction”, or were they just spinning?

  

  The news that both the A38 (pictured) and A46 schemes have been shelved was welcomed by many campaigners, but went down very badly with Claire Ward, mayor of the East Midlands.

  In a statement, she described it as “totally unacceptable to me”, adding:

  (more…)

  2026.07.01

• New new dawn for A46 bypass

  Ministers have again given the “green light” to the A46 Newark Bypass, although the £500m scheme has no delivery timetable.

  

  Rail minister Lord Hendy has approved a development consent order for the project, presumably because Labour is doing so little to improve the rail network, apart from not announcing funding for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

  National Highways said the move:

  means the formal green light has been given for the scheme to tackle congestion on a crucial trade corridor through the East Midlands. 

  The Department for Transport also announced in July that it given the green light to the scheme, “which could support thousands of new jobs and homes, if planning approval is granted”. Perhaps that was more of an amber light?

  But a National Highways press release notes that:

  In the coming months, National Highways will work with the Department for Transport (DfT) to identify the most efficient and cost-effective delivery timetables for this project, as part of the process of setting the next Road Investment Strategy. An update on timings will be given next year.

  So, if you are interpreting a green light as saying that the scheme is in a position to go forward, think again.

  Interestingly, in July the DfT told Newark and Sherwood District Council:

  We are currently working with DfT to identify the most efficient delivery times for the A46 Newark Bypass scheme, and these will be published alongside RIS3 in March 2026.

  No mention of cost there. Maybe they need to wait for the money to be genuinely in place.

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  2025.10.06