A slate of long-awaited transport projects has been given the green light again almost a year after ministers put many upgrades on hold.
The decision will see major road and rail projects outside London and the South East go ahead, backed by ÂŁ92 billion from last monthâs spending review.
Most have been in the works for several years, and many have already received planning permission.
But their future was thrown into doubt last year when Labour announced a review of transport infrastructure projects, saying the previous Conservative government had promised to deliver some without putting enough money forward.
In a statement to Parliament, then-transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the Tories of leaving a ÂŁ2.9 billion gap between what it had announced and what it had funded.
Almost a year after launching its internal review, the Government has now decided to press on with five major road schemes, five rail projects and 28 smaller road schemes, saying they will cut journey times, ease congestion, create jobs and support new housing.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: âTransport is the backbone of our economy, which is why we are giving them the record funding boost they need, putting taxpayersâ money where it matters most and making everyday journeys easier.
âWith over ÂŁ92 billion investment, including the biggest ever boost for city regions in the North and Midlands, weâre delivering the schemes that fast-track economic growth and jobs, connect communities, and will help us build 1.5 million new homes, as we deliver our plan for change.â
Preparatory work for some of the projects has continued despite the pause, but Tuesdayâs announcement means they can now proceed in full.
For some projects, supporters will hope the backing marks the final stage of a long-running process.
One, a widening of the A66 Trans-Pennine route, was first proposed in 2016, while the reopening of the railway between Portishead and Bristol has been the subject of a 25-year campaign.
The A66 upgrade was given planning permission in March 2024, but was delayed by an ultimately unsuccessful legal challenge and put on hold by the new Governmentâs review. Construction is now expected to start this winter.
Former prime minister Rishi Sunak, whose constituency is served by the A66, welcomed the announcement, saying it would improve âjourney reliabilityâ given the existing roadâs âpoor safety recordâ.
The Portishead line, reopening a railway that was closed in the 1960s, was also thrown into question by the review, but then West of England mayor Dan Norris announced funding had been secured in February this year.
On Tuesday, the Government announced it would invest another ÂŁ27 million in the project, which it said would âconnect an additional 50,000 peopleâ and support âa significant new housing developmentâ.
Other major road schemes confirmed on Tuesday include the M54-M6 link, the M60 Simister Island junction near Manchester, the A38 Derby junctions and improvements to the A46 Newark bypass.
Both the Simister Island and Newark bypass projects are yet to receive planning permission.
The Government has also confirmed its commitment to build new stations at Wellington and Cullompton in the South West and Haxby in Yorkshire, which had all been part of the Conservativesâ Restoring Your Railway project that was scrapped when Labour came to power.
Funding for the stations, along with the Midlands Rail Hub plan to add 300 trains a day to the West Midlands network, was previously announced at last monthâs spending review.
Other, smaller, schemes include improvements to the Middlewich Eastern Bypass, in Cheshire, and the A382 between Drumbridges and Newton Abbot, in Devon.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the investments were âlong overdueâ and would âtransform local communities and improve living standards across the countryâ.
But the Conservatives accused the Government of using the announcement as a âdistraction tacticâ.
Shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon said: âLabour are re-announcing projects that are already under way in order to distract from their failing economic strategy of high tax and high borrowing. They just donât have a plan.
âRachel Reevesâs catastrophic economic mismanagement and Keir Starmerâs total inability to control his own party has led to a string of unfunded U-turns, meaning that more tax rises are coming.â
