TRANSPORT Secretary Alistair Darling is to spend £755 million in an attempt to improve congestion and safety on Britain's roads.

The improvements, which will see work undertaken on major trunk roads, junctions and bypasses, is to start this year and run until 2011. Darling said: 'This package will deliver those benefits and provide welcome relief from heavy traffic.'

Drivers using the A14, A57 and A5 will benefit from the improvements. However, those using the A556 and M6 can expect no change as work on these stretches has been rejected.

Mike Waters, head of market analysis at Arval PHH, said the moves were an encouraging step but the Government needed to be more consistent with its plans. He said: 'The problem with national schemes is consistency. There are no national standards of how schemes operate and are administered. There are other things the Government can do for congestion such as better co-ordination of roadworks and variable speed limits such as those on the M25.' Where the cash will be spent

A14 – £490 million to be spent on creating a dual three-lane carriageway

A45/A46 - £57 million improving the junction and creating an underpass and link to a nearby business park

A57/A628 – A £90 million bypass around surrounding villages

A5/A483 - £40 million junction improvement

M40/A46 – improvements to the Longbridge roundabout