Highways England has revised its £15 billion roads improvement programme to cut down on the impact to motorists as well as minimising congestion.

Plans for 26 road upgrades have been updated to reduce roadworks taking place in the same area of the network.

On Thursday, Highways England published a Supplementary Delivery Plan which has rescheduled its programme for the schemes between three and 24 month, meaning a number of upgrades will be completed earlier than planned.

Jim O'Sullivan, Highways England Chief Executive said: "Our update today (19 October) is a sensible and responsible way to deliver major national investment in road infrastructure. It will keep our roads moving, deliver a lasting legacy for the country and ensure best value for money for the taxpayer."

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The 10 schemes being brought forward are:

• A19 Testos

• A19 Downhill Lane

• M56 junctions 6-8 smart motorway

• M6 junctions 21a – 26 smart motorway

• M6 junction 22 upgrade

• A500 Etruria

• M6 junction 10

• M4 Heathrow Slips

• A47 Acle Straight -small scale improvement

• A47 and A12 junction enhancement

The 16 schemes being re-scheduled are;

• A5 Dodwells to Longshoot widening

• M3 junction 9 improvement

• A31 Ringwood

• M27 junctions 4-11

• A47 North Tuddenham to Easton

• A47 Blofield to North Burlingham dualling

• M25 junction 25 improvement

• M25 junction 28 improvement

• A1 Birtley to Coal House

• M60 junctions 24-27 and junction 1-4 smart motorway

• A47/A11 Thickthorn

• A47 Wansford to Sutton

• A47 Guyhirn Junction

• A12 Chelmsford to A120 widening

• M25 junction 10/A3 Wisley interchange

• M25 junctions 10-16

In addition, six further schemes have been paused for further review and consideration to ensure they achieve value for money.

These schemes are;

• A1 & A19 Technology enhancements

• M11 junctions 8 to 14 technology upgrade

• A12 whole-route technology upgrade

• M53 junctions 5-11 smart motorway

• A14 Junction 10a

• M62/ M606 Chain Bar

Two further projects - M5 Bridgwater junction improvements and A50 Uttoxeter Project B growth corridor project - are also being reworked to achieve value for money, however changes in local development plans mean that these schemes can be progressed, albeit in the early stages of Road Period 2.

(LM/MH)