Ken Skates Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
Road and street works are essential to ensure that our roads and the services within them are properly maintained and improved.
Poorly planned, coordinated and implemented these works can cause severe delays and have a detrimental impact on the Welsh economy. The Welsh Government is committed to improving how road and street works are planned and implemented and have undertaken a consultation on a draft approach for achieving this aim.
Following a consultation and consideration of the responses, we are now publishing The National Approach for Roads and Street Works in Wales.
No changes are proposed to primary legislation. By working in partnership with both statutory undertakers and highway authorities through the Welsh Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee (WHAUC), significant improvements can be made to the way road and street works are managed for the benefit of Wales within the existing legislative framework.
We will be driving improvements in 5 key areas:
- the planning, coordination and implementation of road and street works
- the delivery of major road projects
- communication with the public and business
- skills and training
- fostering within the road and street works community a culture of cooperation and continuous improvement.
The National Approach for Road and Street Works in Wales is of particular relevance to achieving the goals of a prosperous and resilient Wales set out in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
In carrying out works on the highway it is inevitable there will be some congestion. However there are still incidences of traffic disruption being greater than necessary due to over running or conflicting works. Addressing the 5 key areas for improvement will significantly improve the way road and street works are managed, ensuring that while communities have the services and well-managed infrastructure on which they rely, Wales remains very much open for business.
The National Approach for Road and Street Works in Wales is available on our website.