Highways England competitions to help develop digital roads
Roads that repair themselves or offer improved connectivity for Mobility as a Service (MaaS) solutions could be rolled out soon under two new competitions.
Run by Highways England and open for entries from today (11 February), the two parallel competitions – which have secured £20m funding – aim to change the way the country’s motorways and major A roads are designed, managed and used, bringing benefits from reduced congestion and pollution to improved road safety.
Highways England is seeking entries which will help develop digital roads – connected vehicles and infrastructure, design and construction that reduces cost and improves safety, better and more predictable journey times – and improve air quality.
Examples of projects could include roads which repair themselves, robotic construction methods, and improved connections between different modes of transport.
One competition is for unproven feasibility projects which through a second phase closed competition could be further funded for development. The other competition is for proven projects at development stage.
Entries must be suitable for a trial on England’s strategic road network. Projects are expected to start by September this year.
Anyone interested in entering the competition is encouraged to join a webinar, hosted by Innovate UK and Highways England on Thursday 14 February.