A5: Delays are costing drivers over £17,000 every day

Figures released by Midlands Connect on the eve of their A5 conference in Hinckley shows that drivers are losing over £17,000 every single day due to delays on the road.

The stark figures show that HGV drivers lose £3,470.18 daily up and down the A5 but it’s much higher for commuters, who lose an estimated £5,947.19 every day.

That means over the course of a year all commuters lose just over £1.5 million and all HGV drivers lose £877,955.19.

The economic impact of delays determined by Midlands Connect is calculated using an economic model that assesses the value of time of delays for cars, vans, and HGVs, for business, commuting and leisure journeys, on the A5 between the M6 and M1.

It is recommended by Midlands Connect that improvements between Hinckley and Tamworth, and at Gibbet Hill, Warwickshire, should be considered for funding as part of the Government’s third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), which is for the period 2025-2030. This means that project delivery could begin as soon as 2025, less than three years from now.

The research is released to tie in with Midlands Connect’s A5 conference in Hinckley today (21 October 2022). Midlands Connect is bringing together senior politicians, business leaders, and local councils to discuss the future of the nationally critical A5. The route is home to many national businesses and lies at the heart of the logistics ‘golden triangle’.

The conference will hear from politicians such as Dr Luke Evans MP as well as firms like DPD and local council leaders.

Commenting on the research, Midlands Connect’s Strategic Roads Manager Swati Mittal, said:

It is clear delays along the A5 are impacting not only the daily lives of individuals who use the road, but also businesses and the wider economy.

It is so important we move forward with Midlands Connect’s suggestions to improve these roads and get the Midlands moving.

Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, said:

I have been working tirelessly with colleagues to secure much-needed improvements to the A5. In 2020 we were given £20 million which enabled National Highways to assess which design changes would most benefit our area.

Two of the big issues facing the A5 are resilience and reliability. Our area is home to the Watling Street bridge, routinely one of the most bashed bridges in Britain, and as such we’re constantly blighted by long delays and bottlenecks.

These figures show the detrimental economic impact that delays to vital infrastructure improvements can have and is further proof that our region needs these improvements, not just for strategic growth for businesses and prosperity, but for the lives of thousands of people who live and work around the A5. I will continue to lobby for this road to be a priority of the Government.

Cllr Phil King, Chair of the A5 partnership and Leader of Harborough District Council, added:

The A5 Partnerships is currently chaired by Harborough District Council and is made up of 16 councils from both the East and West Midlands regions which have, over a sustained period, looked to secure investment from Governments for much-needed improvements. Its priorities are to improve economic growth and raise productivity, as well as reduce congestion and environmental impact; but as important as those ambitions is the need to improve the safety of all road users, and pedestrians.

Cllr Stuart Bray, Leader of Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council added:

We have been campaigning via the A5 partnership for over a decade for urgent and significant investment in the A5, particularly the stretch that runs between the M42 and M69 via Hinckley & Bosworth.

I fully support the outcomes of the work of our partners at Midlands Connect, which has identified the significant economic impacts arising from the major congestions that regularly occurs, particularly at the Longshoot/Dodwells junction and through bridge strikes at the Lime Kilns.

These issues are frequently expressed to us by local businesses and residents.  I therefore welcome the priority that is being identified by Midlands Connect for this key section of the A5 to be considered in the next round of the governments route investment strategy for the Midlands.

North Warwickshire Borough Council Leader Councillor David Wright added:

The case for the comprehensive improvement of the A5 has been compelling for a number of years and is now overwhelming.

The strategic and the local case for this very clearly shows that the A5 is of major importance to our shared economy and how people are able to live their lives. The £80m secured to help deliver the North Warwickshire Local Plan strengthens this case even further both in how the A5 works and how the A5 impacts on our economic and housing vision for our area.