Grayling targets traffic "hotspots" with £220m in road upgrades, with focus on North

The transport secretary Chris Grayling is targeting £220m at traffic hotspots with a focus on northern England, where a £30m scheme will complete the dualling of the A69 linking Newcastle and Hexham.

He announced details of half the available funding, mainly for small schemes aimed at providing "quick relief to motorists," with the bulk, £90m, for the North of England, mostly for schemes to upgrade roundabouts and other junctions, widen carriageways, and upgrade traffic signals. The South East of England is earmarked £53m in the Highways England 'congestion relief programme,' mostly unallocated, with the largest announced project £5m for technology improvements on the A20 at the Port of Dover.

The funding forms part of "the most extensive improvements to roads in the last 40 years," Grayling added.