East Sussex County Council set to receive £875,000 investment into one of country's 'most high risk roads'

The Department for Transport has announced today (March 19) that £38.3 million will be invested into the most dangerous roads in the country.

According to the DfT, these funds will ‘see significant reductions in fatal and serious injuries’ over the next 20 years, including a 19.5 per cent reduction on the A2101, which runs through Hastings.

Across the country, improvements will include: designing new junctions and roundabouts; improving signage and road markings; new road surfacing and landscape management, and improved pedestrian crossings and cycle lanes.

The £38.3 million across England will deliver improvements on 17 roads, and comes on top of the £147.5m already invested to deliver ‘life-saving improvements’ on 82 high risk roads, as part of the Safer Roads Fund.

This round of funding is expected to save 385 lives over the next 20 years, as well as reduce congestion, improve journey times and lower emissions, the DfT said.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Britain’s roads are some of the safest in the world, but we are always looking at ways to help keep drivers and all road users safe.

“As part of the Government’s plan to improve roads across the country, we’re providing an extra £38 million so that local councils in England have the support they need to keep everyone safe, while reducing congestion and helping to grow the economy.”

Dr Suzy Charman, Executive Director of RSF, added: “The Safer Roads Fund is a transformational initiative for road safety and for the local authorities receiving funds.

“Systematic changes have already had a big impact on road death and serious injury, for example seatbelts and airbags protect lives when crashes happen.

"In the same way we can design roads so that when crashes happen people can walk away, by clearing or protecting roadsides, putting in cross hatching to add space between vehicles, providing safer junctions like roundabouts or adding signalisation and/or turning pockets, and including facilities for walking and cycling.”

“We congratulate the Department for Transport on this lifesaving initiative and thank Ministers for their commitment to safer roads.”