UK Government To Decarbonise National Highways

Motor trade industry professionals will be pleased to learn of new government funding recently announced to assist in the decarbonisation of UK roads.

Moving forward, £30 million will be set aside to help the national highways to be built using asphalt made from grass cuttings and ‘carbon capturing’ cement. This recent announcement was part of a funding round awarded to seven net zero projects that will aid in the UK’s transition to a ‘greener future’.

The projects are spread across the UK and will be funded through the Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads competition. This new programme follows the previous Live Labs 1, a £22.9m innovation programme that focused on adoption of digital technology across the local roads sector in England.

It will support projects led by local highways authorities focused on tackling the long-term decarbonisation of highways infrastructure, such as streetlights, and transforming local authorities’ approach to decarbonising roads.

As the UK looks to make the switch to more eco-friendly alternatives in many aspects of daily life, the UK road network is a part of this process. With the Government already announcing that 2030 will be the end of motor trade forecourt sales of new petrol and diesel cars, these projects will also look to facilitate further decarbonisation.

The projects Include:

A net carbon-negative model for green infrastructure management and South Gloucestershire Council

This project aims to create a unique net-carbon-negative model for building and delivering green infrastructure, such as recycling green waste biomass.

UK Centre of Excellence for Material Decarbonisation in Local Roads and North Lanarkshire Council

One of the funded initiatives aims to establish a centre that will create a materials testing program to identify and implement the latest tech for road construction, using recycled materials from other industries to build roads in the region.

Decarbonising street lighting and East Riding of Yorkshire Council

This project aims to boost low-carbon lighting efficiency in the area, ensuring visibility for drivers and creating a guide for alternative highway lighting, sign, and road marking methods. Very important for helping all drivers looking to avoid penalties and keep their no claims bonus in place with the local insurance broker.

A382 Carbon Negative Project and Devon County Council

This project aims to change the design, construction, and maintenance of highways to reduce carbon emissions and construct a new link road with walking and cycling options.

Ecosystem of Things and Liverpool City Council

The Ecosystem of Things is exploring a scalable and transferable approach to comprehending city systems and implementing successful decarbonization initiatives.

Highways CO2llaboration Centre for materials decarbonisation and Transport for West Midlands

This initiative will support developing a team in the region to decarbonize highways through two programs, including a Highways CO2llaboration Centre and demonstration sites displaying and monitoring innovative decarbonized highway materials.

Net Zero Corridors and Wessex Partnership

This project will use the funds to establish carbon-neutral roads in nine corridors connecting rural and urban areas in Somerset, Cornwall, and Hampshire. The goal is to build these roads without generating additional carbon emissions.