List of road projects in the UK


This article lists current and planned road building in the United Kingdom. Significant investment is expected, including plans for £14billion of investment in road expansion by England's National Highways. In addition to physical expansion, smart motorways have been pursued as a means to increase capacity by introducing regular traffic on the hard shoulder. Transport is devolved, projects in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are delivered in co-operation with the devolved authorities of Transport Scotland, the Welsh Government, and DfI Roads respectively.

New roads under construction

England

Northern Ireland

  • Newtownards Movilla Road to Donaghadee Road and Bangor Road Link
  • Larne Distributor

Proposed new roads

  • Lower Thames Crossing
  • Shrewsbury North West Relief Road
  • A new route to parallel the existing A83, currently under consultations
  • A27 Arundel bypass
  • A46 Newark-on-Trent bypass, under planning, expected to cost between £400m and £500m
  • Northampton North-West Relief Road, a bypass
  • A509 Isham bypass. Will start at Junction 9 A14 Kettering, bypassing Isham village reconnecting at Great Harrowden, reducing traffic between Kettering and Wellingborough.
  • Ashbourne bypass
  • Norwich Western Link route, a proposed new 3.8 mile dual carriageway road in Norfolk
  • A new dual carriageway west of Elmstead Market linking the A120 and the A133. Planning application submitted in April 2021 with an expected cost of £70million.
  • A5036 Port of Liverpool Access
  • A66 Dualling Temple Sowerby to Appleby
  • A66 Dualling Stephen Bank to Carkin Moor
  • A64 Dualling Hopgrove to Barton-le-Willows, currently under planning,
  • Banwell Bypass from the A371 west of Banwell, Somerset, to the A368 near Sandford, with a spur towards the A371 Winscombe.
  • A new link road between the M54 and the M6, will be constructed. A timeline is expected to be given by spring 2026. It is currently expected to cost of between £175million and £200million
  • Bean Road Underpass a planned 75 m tunnel in Kent to link the Whitecliffe/Eastern Quarry housing area with Bluewater Shopping Centre, primarily for Fastrack buses plus a pedestrian and cycle path.

Expansion

  • Dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness
  • * A9 Tomatin to Moy
  • * A9 Tay Crossing to Ballinluig
  • A9/A82 Longman Junction Improvement Scheme
  • Dualling of the A96
  • * A96 Inverness to Nairn including Nairn Bypass
  • A66 Dualling:
  • * Penrith to Temple Sowerby
  • * Appleby to Brough
  • * Bowes Bypass
  • * Cross Lanes to Rokeby
  • Dualling of 8 km of the A1 between Alnwick and Ellingham and 12.9 km between Morpeth and Felton, This is still awaiting government consent with a decision now due in June 2024
  • Dualling of the A47 between North Tuddenham and Easton, expected to cost £100million to £250million, and between Blofield and North Burlingham at a cost of £50million to £100million.
  • An additional lane for both sides of the A1 between Birtley and Coal House, a stretch. Approved in January 2021, Highways England stated the cost of this scheme was "yet to be determined".
  • Partial dualling of the A5, expected to start in 20242025 at a cost of £20million to £25million
  • Capacity increase for three junctions along the A38 in Derby, expected to start in 2021 and be completed by 20242025 at a cost of £200million to £250million. The Secretary of State approved the scheme's Development Consent Order on 8 January 2021 allowing the scheme to proceed
  • M60 Simister Island junction 18 capacity increase, expected to be constructed between 2026 and 2028 at a cost of between £207–£340million
  • M42 capacity increase, including a new long dual-carriageway link road, a new junction, junction capacity increases, and a new pedestrian overbridge. Expected to be completed in 20242025 at a cost of £282million.
  • Berryden corridor, a road-widening project in Aberdeen
  • Grade separation of the Sheriffhall roundabout on the Edinburgh City Bypass, expected to cost £120million
  • A465 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun
  • A1231 Dualling, Sunderland
  • A4440 Dualling, Worcester
  • A6 dualling - M22 to Castledawson
  • A6 dualling - Dungiven to Derry, under construction
  • M2 junction 5 capacity increase, started September 2021 and completed Summer 2025 and cost £100million
  • M621 junctions 1 to 7, capacity increase, Including extra lanes at J2.
  • A64 Askham Bryan Junction Improvement
  • M1/M62 Lofthouse Interchange

Legal challenges

Legal challenges against the construction of specific roads:
  • A47 road schemes
  • A38 road expansion
Transport Action Network challenged the Government over its Road Investment Strategy 2 on climate grounds.