McLoughlin and Alexander said the plan will “triple levels of spending by the end of the decade to increase the capacity and condition of England’s roads” and will invest in more than 100 new road schemes to add over 1,300 new lane miles on motorways and trunk roads.
“Today I am setting out the biggest, boldest and most far-reaching roads programme for decades. It will dramatically improve our road network and unlock Britain’s economic potential,” McLoughlin said.
The strategy will also invest £1.5bn to add an extra lane onto key motorways that connect London, Birmingham, Manchester and Yorkshire.
This will create ‘smart motorways’ that boost connectivity to key cities.
Alexander said: “World class infrastructure is vital if we are to build a stronger economy, but it matters in other ways too. It invigorates communities and gives people more opportunities to get on in life.”
The road investment strategy comes at a time when government are seeking to boost economic growth outside of London.
In August, George Osborne announced plans to invest in the North of England with the view to creating an economic "powerhouse" outside of London and in November devolved greater political power to Greater Manchester with the introduction of an elected mayor.
Of the 100 schemes, 84 are due to start today and are broken down into regions from the northeast to the southwest.