Highways England (HE) has announced a multi-million pound investment for the road improvements, which would create nearly 11,000 jobs, as well as open new development opportunities for nearly 4,000 homes.

The highway agency will be carrying out improvements works worth £75m, which will create opportunities around Derby and Daventry in the Midlands, Oldham in the North West, Durham in the North East and Taunton in the South West.

Around £12.45m will be provided by Highways England for the improvement schemes from its Growth and Housing Fund.

"The improvements are essential to accommodate the extra journeys the developments will create, and we will continue to use our Growth and Housing Fund to unlock further development sites around the country."

The remaining funding will be provided by private sector developers and will be sourced through other public funding.

Highways England has set up £100m fund as part of the government’s £15bn investment in roads and will be providing financial assistance for road improvements as well as delivery of homes and jobs.

Highways England chief executive Jim O’Sullivan said: “As the improvements we’re announcing show, England’s strategic road network is vital for economic success by connecting businesses and people and supporting the Government’s agenda of employment and growth.

“The improvements are essential to accommodate the extra journeys the developments will create, and we will continue to use our Growth and Housing Fund to unlock further development sites around the country.”

The five schemes announced by Highways England include £2.6m for the A52 Wyvern Transport improvements scheme, and £500,000 for improvements to the A663 Foxdenton and J21 of the M60 in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

The agency will be providing £4m for improvements to the M5, junction 25 Taunton, to be delivered by the local-authority (Somerset County Council) and supported by private contributions and the Heart of South West LEP Local Growth Fund.

About £1.85m is allocated for the improvements to the A1 (M) junction 61, Durham.

HE has allocated £3.5m for the improvements to the A5(T) at the junction with the A45 to the west of Northampton, to enable a new, 5.9km local authority-delivered bypass scheme to proceed, linking the A5T directly with J16 of the M1.

Till now, HE is reported to have contributed nearly £40m from its Highways England’s Growth and Housing fund towards 13 improvements to unlock almost 22,000 new homes and more than 34,000 jobs across the UK.