Highways Agency

Foreword by the Chief Executive

This Plan sets out how the Highways Agency will contribute to improving England's transportation system over the next three years. The road network for which the Agency is responsible is the vital backbone for the country's economic and social life.

The Agency aims to provide road users with safe and reliable journeys. That means ensuring the right level of investment to keep its roads well maintained and safe to use, and it means investing in improvements to the network, on large and small schemes, to ease congestion and improve safety. The Agency also has a responsibility to ensure that the impact of its network on the environment is kept to a minimum. This plan sets out important areas of investment in noise mitigation and environmental management aimed at achieving this.

This Plan covers years 2 to 4 of the Government's 10 Year Plan for transport. That Plan provides for investment of some £21 billion in England's strategic roads. The 10 Year Plan included spending £1 billion on progressing the delivery of the 51 major road schemes in our programme and some £2.2 billion on maintaining the network, over the next three years.

The Agency's Corporate Plan published in March 2001 described how it plans to provide a better, more modern public service to our customers over the next five years. Key developments next year will be in implementing the Agency's new procurement strategy, developing a new communications strategy, implementing the first phases of its new estate strategy and continuing to focus on developing its staff in the right roles and with the right skills to deliver a modern public service.

Improving the performance of this major road network will make a real difference to the lives of many individuals and communities. It will also contribute to the country's economic development. This Plan sets out the steps the Agency is taking to deliver these improvements.

Tim Matthews
Chief Executive