More than £100 million is to be spent on roads in the south west – including improvements to one in east Cornwall.

National Highways has announced a £103 million package of renewals and improvements on roads, paths and bridges during the current financial year. 

It will cover 75 schemes across the region, including on the A38 in Cornwall.

One of the projects will be beginning a technology upgrade in the Saltash Tunnel.

Another portion of the money will be used to refurbish junctions 24 and 25 on the M5, as well as upgrading lighting to LED on motorways including the M5 and M4, and on the A303.

The Renewals capital spend covers 75 schemes across the region – some of them already under way – and over a network totalling 794 carriageway miles, covering Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

Jason Hones, National Highways' south west regional director, said: “It’s vital that National Highways’ motorways and A-roads are kept in good condition to make sure they remain safe, reliable and keep the south west moving.

“This investment will help us achieve the ambitious plans we have for our roads, the communities we serve and the environment.

“Hundreds of thousands of drivers use our roads every day for work journeys, home deliveries and the movement of goods and services, so it’s essential we continue to deliver the essential maintenance and upgrades throughout the region to keep them in a good condition to ensure safety and reliability.”

Among its comprehensive programme of renewals and improvements for 2023/204, National Highways is working to:

• Refurbish the decks of the M5 junction 15 and 16 bridges at the Almondsbury Interchange;

• Repair and refurbish the M5 Bamfurlong Lane bridge near Cheltenham;

• Refurbish structures at junctions 24 and 25 of the M5;

• Start a technology upgrade in the A38 Saltash Tunnel;

• Upgrade lighting to LED units along the M4, M5, M49 and A303;

• Repair retaining walls on the A36 at Dundas, near Bath;

• Stabilise a landslip alongside the A35 at Chideock.

In addition to the maintenance and renewals investment, around £5.5 million of funding will be spent on environmental and biodiversity projects and facilities for cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians.

In the South West alone, National Highways looks after:

• 1,972 structures (including the two Severn Bridges, the Avonmouth Bridge, Wynhol, Exe and Exminster Viaducts, Saltash Tunnel, culverts etc)

• 808 miles of safety barrier

• 540 miles of fencing, environmental barriers and walls;

• 20,363 signs;

• 4,775 road studs.

In addition to the renewals programme, National Highways is also to dual carriageway between Chiverton and Carland Cross in Cornwall, dualling three miles of the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester in Somerset and will start work later this year on the Missing Link scheme in Gloucestershire – a project that will improve the connection between two dual carriageway sections of the A417 at Brockworth and Cowley, and links between the M4 and M5.