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It’s quite clear that the congestion we regularly experience on major roads across the UK could be dampened somewhat by the introduction of new road projects.  Back in 2011, the government worked alongside various councils in a bid to come to an agreement regarding the potential introduction of new roads.  The surprising thing was that, despite coming to an agreement, the vast majority of local councils simply didn’t have the funds to afford such a substantial project, with the estimated total cost reaching the £900m mark.

Many locals have opposed the prospected road-builds for decades, even when councils were far from cash-strapped and capable of affording such monumental road maintenance.  Therefore, you can imagine how some of the opposition groups reacted when they discovered the government’s plans to overlook other important issues such as environmental protection and government cuts.  The majority of prospected road-builds affect parts of the country where congestion, noise pollution and air quality are not an issue, so what should we be concerned about when it comes to the environmental aspects of building more roads?

We are more than capable of witnessing the general consequences of building more roads across the countryside, although it has been claimed in the past that many other problematic issues go under the radar and aren’t quite as obvious to the public.  Firstly, the landscape takes a huge hit from all the necessary road works, which can often last for years without clear progress.  The majority of locals find this to be a particularly fundamental issue, with noise pollution manifesting itself for the foreseeable future.  In addition, road-building that incorporates already well-operated road systems can increase traffic on in-demand roads for months or even years depending on the size of the job. Here are some of the other issues that can potentially crop up as a result of an increase in roads:

 

1.  Air Pollution

As you will probably expect, the general state of the environment is something that comes into serious question when plans for new roads are introduced.  Air pollution is just one example of how an increase in roads could damage the environment.  Air pollution as a result of an increase in road vehicles can significantly threaten the environment, causing visible consequences such as smog and a generally unhealthy atmosphere.  For countryside locations in particular, air pollution is something that could be brought up consistently by opposition groups.

 

2.  Noise Pollution

With an increase in road vehicles comes a drastic rise in noise pollution.  Towns and villages that were once idolised for their tranquil state could be under serious threat from roads that are built within a few miles of a specific location.  Properties available for rent in these areas could see a significant drop in value, whilst holiday lets and other small businesses that thrive on the countryside atmosphere could also be badly affected.

 

3.  Local Businesses Collapse

Once road installation is complete, people may start to take full advantage of improved access to a wider range of shopping centres, general stores, services and entertainment outlets that are based further afield.  This could see vast amounts of local businesses suffer from a lack of interest, with the majority of funding and supplies reaching inner city businesses and providers.

 

4.  Alternative Transport Methods Suffer

Cyclists will have to accept an increase in road vehicles could potentially make their journey to work a little more life-threatening than usual.  Road safety measures would have to be completely restructured as country lanes become crowded urban routes, whilst attempting to cross the road might even become more of a challenge.  Even if we do manage to clamp down on the safety of our fellow road users, will cyclists be able to take full advantage of roads that fall victim to the rush hour?

 

Whilst the countryside is under serious threat from any kind of road introduction or redevelopment, the RAC have recently put their arguments forward indicating that an increase in roads would hugely benefit the UK.  In the past, the RAC have funded reports that look to identify and construct a reasonable case for increasing the number of roads we currently have available.  Back in 2009, the Director of the RAC Foundation, Stephen Glaister, stated that “common perceptions about road building are too often wide of the mark”.

At the time, the RAC also pointed out that nearly 92 percent of the population are reliant on roads to get around, a figure that probably hasn’t changed that much today.  They were also quick to dismiss claims that there would be a significant build up of traffic once new roads are opened, a theory that cropped up soon after plans to build new roads for the purpose of reducing traffic were released.  The RAC also claimed that available land would provide a far more appropriate building platform for new roads instead of other methods of transport, such as railways.

Road development is inevitable, regardless of where you stand in the debate.  George Osborne would probably argue that building more roads could significantly improve the economy over the next few decades whilst also accommodating for their increasing demand.  However, a 2013 report from the Roads Task Force titled “Action for Roads” indicated that overall traffic levels had not risen to their expected levels, which would indicate that there isn’t an increasing demand.

The report pinpointed a decrease in the number of young drivers and a reduction in company cars, although some of the general public might even argue that the cost of driving overall has hindered their expected yearly mileage.  Whilst it’s safe to say there is a need for more roads, the increase in traffic could potentially be addressed by introducing policies similar to that of Ken Livingstone’s Congestion Charge scheme, in order to get more people off the roads instead.

 

Mike James works for Maltaward a family run civil engineering business supplying a vast amount of road traffic systems and concrete barriers to a wide range of people and businesses including councils, private companies. etc.  Maltaward is also an airside approved company.