The government will not necessarily use its £24 billion investment in highways to create new roads or widen existing ones. 

This is according to a speech given by transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin at the New Civil Engineer's conference in London yesterday (July 9th).

According to the minister, the coalition will instead focus on the best value-for-money upgrades it can make to the UK's road infrastructure, utilising new technology to overhaul how roads are maintained and funded.

Mr McLoughlin said the Department for Transport is now able to make better use of traffic information in order to make targeted improvements that will improve the experience for motorists and reduce congestion.

"We no longer need to build an entirely new road or widen the full length of an existing one, we have much better data on traffic flows," he added.

In addition, the minister indicated the reformation of the Highways Agency into a government-owned company will help to "prevent changes being made at short notice on a whim".