Cutting-edge, innovative ideas to decarbonise the UK’s highways will receive tens of millions of pounds in government funding after the Department for Transport (DfT) announced the launch of the Live Labs 2 competition.
Some £30m funding will support projects looking at ways to decarbonise local highways infrastructure in regions across the UK, with a particular focus on making the construction, maintenance and running of the country’s roads more sustainable.
Now in its second round of funding, the competition, organised by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), is the latest move in the UK’s drive to create cleaner air and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
UK transport minister Trudy Harrison said: “Investing in innovation is a priority for this government. That’s why we’re supporting local highways authorities to develop cutting-edge projects and help drive our decarbonisation mission.
“Our £30m investment will go towards a greener, safer transport landscape. It will help create green, high-skilled jobs across the country and I look forward to seeing these innovative ideas brought to life.”
The launch of the second round of the competition follows the first £22.9m Live Labs programme, which launched in May 2019 and supported the creation of eight local projects testing innovative solutions on local roads.
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Previous projects included fibre cables that detect vibrations from vehicles and dynamically change signal junctions to combat congestion; trials involving drones to detect potholes in Kent; and plastic roads in Cumbria to boost value for money in the construction of highways. Staffordshire County Council also installed plant-based living walls to tackle roadside emissions.
Paula Hewitt, ADEPT president, said: “The highways and transport sector is the UK’s single biggest carbon emitter and although we are seeing a transition to electric vehicles, there is a huge gap where we are yet to tackle road infrastructure and maintenance.
“Local authorities are perfectly placed to lead the drive to create net zero highways and local roads from the bottom up. The Live Labs format has proven particularly successful for highways authorities, enabling rapid change, innovation and experimentation.”
Following the first ADEPT SMART Places Live Labs programme, Live Labs 2 aims to build on the partnerships between DfT, councils, commercial partners, SMEs and academia to deliver scalable zero carbon objectives with potential for commercialisation and applicability to diverse areas across the UK.
By issuing investments for each project, the fund aims to help local highways authorities and enterprises develop and propel their ideas to market even quicker.
