Highways England – the new government-owned body responsible for transport network management across England – has launched this week (April 1st).

Replacing the outgoing Highways Agency, Highways England has the remit of delivering an improvement in transport network performance and cost efficiency over the coming years, with ambitious plans to not only streamline many major routes up and down the country, but to also deliver widespread economic benefits through better transport network connectivity, faster and more cost-effective upgrade operations and improved journey reliability for all road users.

Examples of the ambitious plans for the organisation during its first five years include the provision of an additional 280 miles of smart motorways network capacity by 2020, as well as a 40 per cent reduction in the number of road casualties through safer routes (in comparison to a 2010 baseline).

Chief executive of Highways England Graham Dalton said: "The launch of Highways England is an incredibly significant moment for those who rely on England’s motorways and major A roads.

"As well as delivering the biggest investment in major roads since the 1970s, there will be fundamental changes to the way motorways and major A roads are maintained and operated.

"We will be focussing on customers, providing better travel information before and during journeys, improving safety and reducing the impact of roadworks."

He added that the organisation will be committed to ensuring more free-flowing transport infrastructure to benefit the country as a whole in the years ahead.

Highways England has been introduced as part of measures implemented through the recent Infrastructure Act, with the organisation forming a key part of the government's ambitious Road Investment Strategy – a £15.2 billion project that will see investment in more than 100 of the UK's major routes over the next five years.