The funding is directed at meeting the costs of emergency safety measures and essential remedial work to roads and bridges identified by authorities in England outside London. It will also enable progress to be made on a range of safety-related schemes, traffic management improvements and other schemes of importance locally in a number of areas.

John Spellar said:

"This financial support will enable local authorities to tackle the most pressing local transport problems in their area and to deliver improvements in transport quickly. It will allow urgent safety and road improvement works to be given priority by authorities and speed up progress on a range of large and small scale transport schemes."

"This announcement demonstrates our commitment to supporting local government to deliver solutions that can make a difference to people's everyday experience of transport"

Among the schemes receiving additional financial support in 2002-03 are:

• Sedgefield to Wynward improvement scheme, Durham (£525,000)
• A15 Werrington to Glinton bypass, Peterborough (£528,000)
• Ballingdon Bridge, Suffolk (£1,500,000)
• A143 Broome to Ellingham bypass, Norfolk (£554,000)
• Arsley Bridge, Bedfordshire (£890,000)
• Merseyway, Stockport (£673,000)
• A44 Fox Inn, Bransford, Worcestershire (£500,000)
• Kingswood Town Centre traffic management scheme, South Gloucestershire (£400, 000)
• Safer Routes to Schools, Surrey (£700,000)