Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

Related pages

• Graduate Leadership Development Scheme 2010

New Directions

As roads in England have got busier, so have we.

It's our job to maintain and improve England's motorway and trunk road network. But in recent years we've also taken on the more strategic role of network operator, with an increasing focus on traffic management and providing a high level of service to road users.

You've probably noticed fewer police cars and more Highways Agency patrol vehicles on the motorways. That's because through the introduction of 1,200 Traffic Officers, operating from seven Regional Control Centres, we've taken over about 75% of police motorway duties. You'll have seen better real time information being relayed to electronic signs via our National Traffic Control Centre, collating data from cameras, sensors and Traffic Officers. And while we're building new roads and bridges in ever shorter time frames, we're also delivering managed motorway schemes which use a range of innovative technologies combined with new operating procedures to actively control traffic flow - the results of radical thinking, strategic research, meticulous evalution and cutting edge development. 

But it's not just about information and technical innovation. We're influencing travel behaviour too, by working with local authorities, transport companies and tourism agencies to think about travel planning, smoothing out peak traffic flows and achieving more sustainable travel patterns.

It's all part of our wider remit to tackle congestion, enhance safety, inform travellers, increase reliability and improve journey times. And when you consider that these aims encompass 4,500 miles of England's major strategic road network, you'll appreciate the scale, complexity and importance of the challenge.

At the same time, you'll begin to grasp the scope that a career with the Highways Agency can offer - and it's getting broader all the time.