The '''Highways Agency''' is an Executive_agency, part of the Department_for_Transport in the United_Kingdom. The agency has responsibility for maintaining and improving the 7754 km of Motorways and Trunk_roads (main long-distance roads) in England. The agency was created by John_Major's government in 1994.
Non-trunk 'A' roads, 'B' roads and minor roads are maintained by Local_authorities and not the Highways Agency. Roads in Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of the Scottish_Executive and the Welsh_Assembly respectively. Northern_Ireland's roads are the responsibility of an executive agency within the Department_for_Regional_Development called the ''Roads Service''.
The Highways Agency network is split into 14 operational areas http://www.highways.gov.uk/aboutus/143.aspx, which are managed and maintained by agents, often a joint venture between a Civil_engineering Consultancy and contractor. In addition, there are some sections of road that are managed by DBFO contracts separate from the area teams, such as the A30 east of Exeter and the M40.
In Spring 2004, Highways Agency Traffic Officers began working alongside police on motorways in the West Midlands. This was the start of an England-wide roll out, with traffic officers planned to be introduced across the whole country by the end of 2006.
Image:HATO_Vehicle.JPG
Traffic Officers' duties include the following:
* attending motor vehicle accidents
* removing damaged and abandoned vehicles
* clearing debris on carriageways
* undertaking high visibility patrols
* providing mobile/temporary road closures
* supporting police in their duties
Traffic Officers will be supported by seven Regional Control Centres across England, and will be jointly staffed by the police and the Highways Agency. The control centres will allocate Traffic Officers and other emergency services to incidents, manage and monitor traffic and control electronic signs on the roads.
== External links ==
* http://www.highways.gov.uk/
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Category:Road_transport_in_England
Category:Executive_agencies_of_the_United_Kingdom_government
Category:Organisations_based_in_England