Highways Agency

Graduate Leadership Development Scheme

Who we are: The Highways Agency

The Highways Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT) established in 1994. We are responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the motorway and trunk road network in England on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport. The Strategic Road Network is valued at over £65bn and consists of 4,818 miles (7754 km) of motorways and trunk roads in England.

Our Role

Although these roads make up only around three per cent of the country's whole network, they still carry a third of all road traffic and two thirds of all freight. It is vital that an asset so central to the UK's economic and social health is kept safe and available for use. This means we are committed to the Department for Transport's targets to reduce congestion and the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our network. Our overall aim is "Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers."

We are also becoming a more customer-focused organisation. Whilst remaining committed to our traditional function of building and maintaining roads, we have taken on a more strategic role of Network Operator.

This expanding role is developing rapidly as we increase our focus on traffic management and providing a high level of service to road users. This is illustrated for example, by the ongoing introduction of Traffic Officers onto our roads, a National Traffic Control Centre and seven new Regional Control Centres throughout England.

Our organisation is crucial in delivering the Government's Ten Year Plan for Transport. We also fulfil an international role by building good working relationships and sharing experience and expertise with overseas road administrations. This helps to promote the value of UK knowledge and expertise to support UK industry whilst learning about best practice across the world.