Breedon Group plc has completed the acquisition of Booth Precast Products Limited, strengthening its position in the Irish construction materials market following approval from the Competition Authority. Booth, based in County Laois, has supplied quarrying and concrete products to the Irish construction sector for more than 25 years, building a reputation for quality, sustainability and customer service. The business operates from its headquarters in Laois and serves customer

Progress is accelerating on two proposed bypasses along the A75 in Dumfries and Galloway after Transport Scotland confirmed £1.1 million for essential ground investigations at Springholm and Crocketford. The funding has been awarded to Causeway Geotech Ltd to undertake detailed site investigations that will inform the ongoing design and route assessment process. The A75 is a key strategic trunk road connecting south-west Scotland with ferry ports serving Northern Ireland, and

Transport for London (TfL) has published a new edition of its free Art Map, highlighting permanent artworks installed across the network since 2016. The updated leaflet showcases 26 permanent commissions on the Underground, including six major works added over the past decade by artists such as Alexandre da Cunha, Chantal Joffe and Lucy McKenzie. To mark the launch, TfL is hosting a series of free pop-up talks this weekend, offering passengers the chance to hear directly from

Transport for London (TfL) has revealed a 54% increase in rental e-scooter journeys over the past year, as it launches procurement for the next phase of the capital’s ongoing trial. New data covering September 2024 to September 2025 shows trips rose from 1.3 million to more than two million. Average daily usage increased from one trip per vehicle to 1.5, reaching two trips per vehicle during peak summer months. Currently, Swedish operator Voi and US-based Lime are participati

A set of vintage cassette recordings of The Hobbit has been discovered during routine maintenance work on the Tyne and Wear Metro in Newcastle. The unexpected find was made during track renewal works between Chillingham Road and Walkergate, when maintenance crews uncovered a boxed set of cassette tapes buried at the base of an overhead line mast. The tapes contain a dramatised BBC radio adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit . The series originally aired on BBC Radio 4 in

Walking, wheeling and cycling in Greater Manchester are saving the NHS more than £45 million every year – the equivalent of over one million GP appointments – according to the region’s Walking and Cycling Index 2025. The report, launched by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), is described as the UK’s largest ever assessment of active travel. It highlights the health, economic and social benefits already being delivered across the city region, w

Manchester Airport is approaching a significant milestone as its £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2 nears completion after a decade of work. The expanded terminal, which has already unveiled a larger security hall and a new departures lounge featuring a boutique-style retail area, is now in its final stages. Once fully complete, the redevelopment is expected to increase the airport’s capacity to 40 million passengers a year by 2030, up from around 32 million currently. To su

The number of passengers using buses and the Midland Metro in the West Midlands has fallen, while rail boardings have increased, according to the latest data. A report to be presented to the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Transport Delivery Overview and Scrutiny Committee shows that bus boardings in Quarter Three (October to December) of 2025/26 totalled 59.99 million. This represents a 5.9% drop compared with 63.74 million in the same period in 2024/25. Midland Me

Work has begun on installing a 960ft (293m) bridge as part of the £160m Grantham Southern Relief Road scheme. The structure, which will span the River Witham and the East Coast Main Line, is now being carefully pushed into position following a previous delay. An earlier attempt in February 2025 was postponed after a design fault raised concerns that strong winds could cause the bridge to shift out of alignment during installation. The one-year delay is estimated to have cost

A new roads policing tasking team is being introduced in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in a bid to tackle careless and dangerous driving. Department for Transport data shows that 1,286 people were killed or seriously injured on the area’s roads between October 2024 and September 2025. Nationally, around 30,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year. The newly formed Roads Policing Tasking Team will focus on dangerous and anti-social driving, with particular emphas

Transport for London’s (TfL) Commissioner has set out an ambitious vision for the capital’s transport future, telling delegates at this year’s Interchange event in Manchester that London’s integrated network “will only continue to grow in size, in intelligence, and in resilience.” Speaking at the UK’s leading annual gathering for the integrated transport infrastructure community, he said collaboration across the sector would be key to delivering long-term ambitions for both L

Econ Engineering has supplied a fleet of distinctive red gritters to Marlborough Highways as the contractor enters its first full winter season under a refreshed brand identity. Econ, which manufactures around 85% of the UK’s gritters and is best known for its iconic yellow vehicles, worked with Marlborough to break from convention. The new gritters feature a striking red livery that aligns with Marlborough’s “We are bold” value and reinforces its continued investment in mode

Pedestrian deaths on roads across the West Midlands have nearly doubled in the past four years, according to new figures due to be presented to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). A report for the transport delivery overview and scrutiny committee shows that while the overall number of people killed or seriously injured (KSIs) on the region’s roads has fallen slightly, the proportion of fatalities involving pedestrians has risen sharply. In 2025, 50 people were kille

Liverpool City Council has announced plans to procure a new £100 million highways professional services framework, with a deadline for submissions set for 9 April 2026. The four-year framework will provide specialist highways and transport consultancy services to support delivery across the Liverpool City Region from October 2026, when the current Professional Services Framework (PSF) expires. According to the tender brief, the council intends to appoint suppliers to deliver

Paula Claytonsmith, the former chief executive of the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG), has made a return to the highways sector and is taking on a leading role in a new research initiative examining the future use of advanced artificial intelligence in local transport networks. After stepping away from her LCRIG position last year to prioritise her health, Claytonsmith has now resumed professional activity, confirming via social media that she is easing back into

National Highways has launched the next phase of its road safety campaign encouraging motorists to leave more space between vehicles, after new research revealed widespread tailgating and declining driving etiquette across England. The findings suggest that pressure, stress and tight schedules are contributing to risky behaviours, particularly on motorways and major A-roads. An estimated 4.9 million drivers admit their manners deteriorate when they are under pressure, especia