Lifting 370 miles of roadworks helping deliver August Bank Holiday

Tuesday 23 August 2016

The Freight Transport Association has applauded the removal of over 370 miles of roadworks from our roads next weekend, saying the move will ease the journeys for drivers across the August Bank Holiday.

A Highways England announcement states that almost 98 per cent of England’s motorway and major ‘A’ roads, will have no roadworks, as they will be lifted, or completed before the long weekend break.

FTA Head of Road Network Management Policy - Malcolm Bingham, welcomed the news saying: “Lifting such a significant number of roadworks during the Bank Holiday weekend is good news for all motorists.

“We know from experience there will be a significant amount of extra traffic on the national motorways and trunk roads over the next few days. FTA is urging drivers to use the roads responsibly as interruptions to the network raises the cost of moving goods to shops, supermarkets and as well as services to festivals and weekend events.”

According to Highways England, over 170 miles of roadworks are to be lifted in the south east including areas of the M1, M4, and over 80 sets of work on the M25 alone.

Mr Bingham continued: “Roadworks are never popular. We know that there is due to be a significant increase in work planned over the next few years, due to the large increase in road infrastructure funding, so it is even more important to make sure that what available roads space we have is maximised to facilitate reliable journeys.”

FTA has been showcasing the important role the logistics industry plays in every business, and to the UK economy through its ‘Delivering the Summer’ campaign - highlighting the essential part it plays in a variety of events - from Wimbledon to the Euros, Glastonbury to the Olympics:

Mr Bingham concluded: "The summer sports tournaments are great examples of how logistics delivers absolutely everything, from the smallest tennis ball to the enormous replica trophy that appeared on the pitch at the end of the Euro 2016 final.

"The importance of logistics to the supply chain cannot be underestimated. Sun lotion, flip-flops, ice cream, beach towels - all the summer essentials reach us thanks to logistics. Without it, the shops would be empty and our cupboards would be bare."
 
FTA Press Office
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