£2bn road widening scheme planned

Motorways in some of the country's most congested areas are to be widened in the largest expansion project for 20 years. It's thought that the M1 and the M6 will both get an extra lane, along some sections. Environmentalists say ministers have got it wrong, and the new roads will ruin areas of outstanding natural beauty.

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We talked to Roger Higman, who specialises in transport issues for Friends of the Earth. He said:

The Transport Secretary has opted to build the roads his advisers have suggested. It is devastating to the countryside, for example Black Down Hills -- which is designated as an area of outstanding beauty -- is now going to get four traffic lanes.

Click here to watch our interview with Roger Higman

We also heard from Professor David Begg, who's the chairman of the Commission for Integrated Transport and Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation. They talked about congestion charges, and the viability of the changes. And how they could make our roads more safe and reliable. They also focussed on mistakes of the past, for example out of town shopping centres being built near the M25...

Click here to watch this discussion.

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Among the roads expected to be targeted are the M1 and M6 motorways.

Environmentalists have reacted with dismay to the plans, but motoring bodies have praised them.

Environmental body Transport 2000 called it "a serious return to big road building".

Building and widening roads as a solution to transport problems has failed in the past and there's no reason to think it will work now

Friends of the Earth

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling will base the building programme - estimated to cost £2bn - on recommendations made from five transport studies.

He is expected to give the go-ahead to widening parts of the M1 and M6, the A1 north of Newcastle, the A303 to Somerset and the A453 south of Nottingham.

Rail changes

However, he was expected to ignore calls for more road tolls. A government source told the Financial Times: "There's no way you could introduce any schemes now."

The transport plan is also set to include a revamped national rail timetable, and possibly plans to cut services that carry few passengers and put extra trains on crowded routes.

Integrated transport should include road schemes

Edmund King
RAC

On Sunday, Mr Darling warned the rail industry that he would not "write a blank cheque" to improve the network.

Tuesday's announcement looks set to stir up the debate once again between motorists and environmental groups.

Transport 2000 said: "Decisions to go along with the road plans would be a move away from the commitment to integrated transport and would bring anger from environmental groups and the Department of Environment."

Friends of the Earth said the government had "conceded defeat on getting people out of their cars and abandoned any attempt at having a sustainable transport policy."

Spokesman Tony Bosworth said: "Building and widening roads as a solution to transport problems has failed in the past and there's no reason to think it will work now."

Quick fixes

But motoring groups have argued that congestion cannot be tackled by increasing public transport alone.

The RAC hailed the motorway and trunk road improvements as "a realisation that an integrated transport policy includes road building".

The Freight Transport Association said the government needed to act on its plans quickly to solve the "crisis" in the transport infrastructure.

"The government must make a positive commitment to actions which will deliver benefits to industry and other roads users in the medium term - five to seven years," said chief executive Richard Tuner.

"Ministers must act without delay."

In the meantime, he said, ministers also needed to look at "improvements at congestion pinch points, better quality traffic information for road users, and ways of better and quicker management of major congestion-causing accidents".

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