Ministers have postponed the decision on the planning application for the £9bn Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) by a further seven months. Transport secretary Louise Haigh was due to decide whether to grant the scheme a Development Consent Order (DCO) by last Friday. However, late on Monday (7 October) she issued a parliamentary statement saying that it… Read more »

The number of pothole-related breakdowns has increased by 10,000 compared to last year, according to the AA Pothole Index. The number of incidents recorded in September (50,244) also hit a record high since 2017 (50,418). The main incidents relate to punctures, damaged wheels, steering and suspension. Recent heavy rain also means many potholes are hidden… Read more »

Highways magazine has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) to establish closer partnership working between these two pillars of the highways community. LCRIG chief executive Paula Claytonsmith (pictured) and Lisa Bentley, head of transport and infrastructure at Hemming Group, signed a new MoU 24th September 2024. Ms Bentley… Read more »

Exclusive research by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) and LCRIG in the annual ALARM survey has uncovered a wide gap between action and intention when it comes to decarbonising local road maintenance. The results of a previously unreleased joint LCRIG/AIA section of this year’s survey found that 90% of local authorities in England and Wales… Read more »

Costain has ‘successfully’ trialled a carbon tracker platform that aims to standardise and improve carbon emissions reporting across its projects. The infrastructure company said the tracker, visualised via an interactive, online dashboard, will enable project teams to capture construction related emissions, including Scope 3 emissions, from across the supply chain. The tracker is designed to… Read more »

Staffordshire County Council’s highway crews have surface dressed more than 1.7 million square meters of the county’s roads this financial year, including 98 road projects brought forward from next financial year. Surface dressing is carried out before roads require more costly repairs; it reduces potholes and can prolong the life of roads by up to… Read more »

Transport technology trade body ITS UK has published a new report ahead of the Budget, calling for a renewed focus on motorway technology as a means of improving the network. The Report, A Future State for the UK Motorway Network, calls for a ‘national motorway transition strategy’, to improve safety, reduce congestion, lower carbon emissions… Read more »

One of the UK’s largest and most influential contractors bodies has called for a radical new approach to managing the nation’s infrastructure assets, ahead of its annual conference later this month. The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) will be hosting delegates on 24 October at its ‘aging assets’ conference in Aerospace Bristol, with roads minister Lilian… Read more »

The £65m York Outer Ring Road dualling project has been further delayed, with both the city council and the Government reviewing the scheme. The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that funding for the scheme has been pushed back two years, with City of York Council budgets showing that cash which was previously budgeted only until… Read more »

Connect Plus Services (CPS) has appointed Louise Haining as managing director with responsibility for leading its M25 operations. The CPS consortium comprises Balfour Beatty, AtkinsRéalis and Egis and has responsibility for operating and maintaining the 250-mile M25 motorway network, including routine maintenance, winter maintenance, and managing five tunnels and 2,500 structures such as bridges, culverts,… Read more »