Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment

Road Investment Strategy 3 will fund major schemes to upgrade and future-proof England's roads over the next 5 years.

Millions of drivers are set for smoother, safer journeys as the government today (26 March 2026) commits £27 billion to upgrade and future-proof England’s roads.

Spread across 5 years, the plan puts more money into maintaining the network to help deliver smoother, more reliable journeys for drivers, businesses and freight operators by resurfacing roads, fixing potholes, and replacing worn-out stretches of motorway.

The huge investment, known as the Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), will fund major schemes that unlock growth and improve connectivity across the country, and allow National Highways (NH) to resurface over 9,000 kilometres worth of motorway and major A-road lanes – almost a quarter of the network.

These include the dualling of the A66 between Cumbria and North Yorkshire, and government support to bring private investment into the Lower Thames Crossing – a new road crossing east of London that will ease congestion and improve connections across the South East.

The government is also choosing to fix the foundations, investing a record £8.4 billion to repairing and renewing England’s motorways and major A-roads before problems arise, so drivers can have faith in a world-class road network once again.