MAJOR A-roads in England will be turned into "mini motorways" as part of a European-style expressway project, including the scrapping of roundabouts and traffic lights.
Junctions will be modernised and emergency areas provided as well-travelled A-roads are given a status close to motorways.
It is possible that bicycles and slow-moving vehicles such as tractors will be excluded from these new roads.
Highways England, which replaces the Highways Agency from April 1, will carry out the work.
Advanced technology will be used to detect and help clear incidents more quickly and get traffic moving as part of the £11 billion investment.
The investment will initially be used on the busiest A-roads, such as A303 through Wiltshire; the A30 into Devon; the A14 from Huntingdon to Cambridge and the A46 between the A1 and M1 in the East Midlands.
Should this be successful the scheme could be rolled out to busy A roads in Gloucestershire and North Wiltshire.
A Highways Agency spokesman said: "Innovation will be a major driving force behind everything Highways England does over the next five years. We will work closely with the DfT, specialists and the private sector on technology and strategic growth that will make best use of our roads.
"These changes will improve journeys for our customers, boost safety and drive economic growth."
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