More than £345 million is being invested to improve local roads and public transport across England.

Announcing the funding today, 19 October, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said 76 projects have been awarded funding totalling £244m to carry out schemes such as improving access to public transport sites, opening up more roads for cyclists, addressing key local traffic ‘pinch points' and supporting the development of new housing.

A further £101.3m investment will help fund two new major roads in Middlewich, Cheshire, and Worcester in the Midlands.

The funding covers a range of projects including,

• The delivery of contactless payment options across Nottingham's bus and tram network

• Creating a new link for buses in Plymouth providing direct access to Derriford hospital

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• Improvements on the A66 in Darlington which will help unlock 2,600 houses and 4,300 jobs by improving travel connections

In Worcester, £54.5m of funding will complete a series of upgrades to the Worcester Southern Relief Road, including a new carriageway alongside the existing Carrington Bridge. The project aims to provide congestion relief for local Worcester residents and commuters, as well as boosting jobs and economic growth in areas like Great Malvern by transforming access to the M5 and accelerate the building of more than 5,000 homes.

Elsewhere, £46.8m of funding in Middlewich will go towards the Eastern Bypass scheme which will cut congestion for residents and open up more land for employment, potentially creating up to 2,000 extra jobs in the area.

Funding for all these schemes is being provided from the National Productivity Investment Fund and the Large Local Majors fund.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "This government is taking the big decisions for Britain's future and investing a record £23 billion on our roads to increase capacity and improve journeys.

"These schemes will provide much needed upgrades to essential local roads up and down the country, cutting congestion, improving safety and shortening journey times for drivers.

"They will also help boost regional economic growth by unlocking jobs and supporting vital new housing development."

To view a map of all improvement schemes, visit here.

(LM/MH)