The Strategic Road Network is one of Transport for the North’s six initial focus areas (the others are Northern Powerhouse Rail, Smart North, Local Strategic Connectivity, International Connectivity and Freight & Logistics). Karen Sanderson works in the Programme Management Office (PMO), working closely with Highways England as they carry out feasibility studies into three exciting possible future road developments. We caught up with Karen to find out more about her role and the Strategic Roads Network Programme.
“I’ve been working in civil engineering for nearly thirty years, mainly on the highways side,“ Karen told us, ”I previously worked for the Highways Agency (now Highways England) delivering major projects on the motorway and trunk road network. When the opportunity came up to work for Transport for the North I was chosen for a twelve month secondment looking at the strategic roads network work stream.”
We began by asking just what a ‘strategic road’ is: “The strategic road network is made up of the motorways and trunk roads managed by Highways England on behalf of the Secretary of State,” Karen explained, “It’s made up of the key routes that carry freight and passenger traffic across England, supporting local and national economic growth. Highways England is specifically responsible for these routes, whilst other roads are managed by local authorities.”
We asked Karen what the main priorities were for the Strategic Roads work stream: “We’re currently working closely and collaboratively with Highways England to develop their RIS2, that’s their second Road Investment Strategy programme,” she told us.
“It covers the investment required during 2020-2025, so we’re looking ahead at what the strategic road network requirements for the North would be for that period. There are also three strategic road studies in the North that are part of the current Road Investment Strategy (RIS1) that we’re helping Highways England to develop – that’s the Transpennine Tunnel Study, the Northern Transpennine Study and the Manchester North West Quadrant Study. They’re all due to report in the autumn this year.”
We asked Karen what would happen next with these studies: “As part of the Chancellor’s budget in March he announced additional funding to take these studies further forward and develop business cases. So we’re working with DfT, to agree how that funding can be used for the next stage of development of those schemes, after they report in the autumn.”
We asked what sort of plans may be in the pipeline for RIS2. Karen explained, “The first stage for the development of RIS2 is the gathering of evidence. Highways England will be launching that stage very shortly. They will be asking a wide range of stakeholders for any evidence they have of the pressures on the strategic road network. This will help them decide what areas to look at for potential future interventions.”
Karen explains that one of the advantages of having Transport for the North involved in this process is that we will be taking a pan-Northern view of the whole transport network, and feeding in some of the intelligence from work that’s being done on local strategic connectivity, international connectivity and freight, to inform the development of RIS2.
“I’m currently working closely with colleagues from TfN’s Local Strategic Connectivity work stream, who have already produced a list of potential interventions they’d like to see that would improve journeys at a local level. The Freight & Logistics and International Connectivity work streams are also developing their recommendations and I’ll obviously be making sure that those are fed through into the evidence gathering for RIS2.”
“After the evidence gathering stage, Highways England will identify priority locations for further investigation and generate options. These will feature in their Strategic Road Network Initial Report, due in late 2017, which will have recommendations to ministers for potential future interventions on the network. Obviously, TfN will have been a key contributor throughout the decision making process which will help form the recommendations for the North.”
We finished the interview by asking Karen what she liked about living and working in the North. “I’m from the North, I was born and bred here, I went to University here and I’ve worked most of my life in the North. It’s a wonderful place to live, with wonderful people, which fully deserves the attention it’s getting through the Northern Powerhouse agenda to make it an even better place to live and work.”