Strategic Road Network Initial Report
Our Strategic Road Network Initial Report is the first stage in how we plan network investment with the government. It outlines our proposals for the next road period, how we intend to deliver them and what we aim to achieve.
Our Strategic Road Network (SRN) Initial Report summarises:
- our performance over the current road period to-date
- research into customer, community and stakeholder priorities as well as local, regional and national insights
- the condition of the network, along with corresponding challenges and opportunities
- proposals for targeting improvements across the SRN over the third road period (2025-2030)
- how we'll deliver these proposals and the outcomes we could achieve
This report looks ahead to 2025-30, the third road period (RP3).
It sets out the steps required to meet what customers and the country will need from our roads into the second half of this century.
We have intentionally focused on the services and benefits we should provide to users of our network. That is, those who benefit from our network and those affected by it.
The SRN Initial Report is influenced by:
- research and feedback summarised in our 20 Route Strategy Initial Overview Reports
- longer term consideration for the SRN presented in Connecting the country: Our long-term strategic plan to 2050
- feedback from our stakeholders, the sub-national transport bodies and Transport Focus
- consideration of new legal requirements impacting our network as well as government policies and objectives
What we want to achieve
In RP3, we want to:
- improve safety for all
- make the most of the network we have
- evolve our customer and community offer
- drive decarbonisation and environmental sustainability
- take a targeted approach to enhancing our network
- reshape and evolve how we deliver
Our proposals
Our proposals will help us achieve every aspect of this new vision by:
- taking a renewed focus on investment across every aspect of road safety with a focus on collaboration
- ensuring investment makes the most of our network, keeping it running smoothly and offering increased choices to enable customers to travel differently
- consciously adopting an investment policy based on carbon emission reduction
- preparing our network so it can support future connected roads and autonomous (self-driving) vehicles
What happens next
Between 18 May and 13 July 2023, the Department for Transport (DfT) led a consultation on the SRN Initial Report.
DfT is now analysing feedback from the consultation. This will inform the government's draft Road Investment Strategy (RIS) for RP3, due to be published later this year.
Following the consultation, we will:
- work with government to understand your feedback
- establish our plans for the third road period
Government is due to publish its final Road Investment Strategy for 2025-30 in 2024.
In parallel, we will develop our final Strategic Business Plan and detailed Delivery Plan for RIS3 (2025-2030).
These plans will set out what we intend to deliver and how. They will be supported by the publication of our 20 finalised Route Strategy Reports.
Contact us
If you would like to know more about our Initial Report, please contact RPMO@nationalhighways.co.uk.
