Yorkshire will be among the regions benefitting from extensive resurfacing work confirmed by Highways England this week.
The body named its contractor partners to carry out work on England’s concrete roads, with the £218 million deal seeing Morgan Sindall and John Sisk carrying out reconstruction operations over a five-year period.
These road surfacing contractors will carry out the work on a design and build basis, with existing surfaces being demolished and replaced with new materials.
In addition, £67 million of lifecycle extension works will be undertaken by VolkerFitzpatrick, Colas, Dyer & Butler and Tarmac, which will help increase the life of existing concrete surfaces on motorways and A roads.
Overall, England has more than 400 miles of concrete roads, with Yorkshire being among the regions were they are most common. Most were built in the 1960s and 70s, meaning they are overdue for repairs. Many are carrying up to 25 per cent more traffic than they were designed for.
Highways England regional director Martin Fellows, commented: “This is the biggest concrete road renewals programme we have ever embarked on.”
He said the contracts confirmed this week will “help us deliver the maximum benefits of safe, reliable and smooth journeys for many years to come.”
The repaired roads will see their lifespans extended by another ten years, while the entirely new surfaces will be made to last for 40 years.
Yorkshire roads will be included in the latest phase of the five-year plan, which began last year with work to improve roads in the East of England.
Focused on the A11, A12, A14 and M11, this work will, when completed, led to the replacement of half of the concrete road surfaces in the region.
Beyond repairing concrete roads in Yorkshire, future possible Highways England schemes that may take place in the county during the next five years include the A1 between Doncaster and Darrington, the A64 at Hopgrove and the M1/M62 Lofthouse Interchange.