UK's Hammond reportedly to pledge £1.3bn on roads in autumn statement

UK Chancellor Philip Hammond is expected to announce an £1.3bn of spending to improving Britain's roads when he delivers his first Autumn Statement on Wednesday.

A Treasury spokesman told the BBC that most of the money will go towards cutting congestion and upgrades to local roads and public transport networks.

The spokesman added that investment in infrastructure and innovation to boost long-term economic growth would be "at the heart" of Wednesday's statement.

Hammond and Transport Secretary Chris Grayling had "identified the importance of prioritising projects which make an immediate impact", the spokesman added.

Their plans were "likely to make a real difference by making journeys quicker and easier for millions of commuters".

Hammond is expected to take a different approach to the Autumn Statement than his predecessor George Osborne, by announcing top-level spending decisions rather than full details of individual projects, the BBC reported.

"He believes the Treasury should be focused on its core job of economic policy, managing the public finances, and not doing spending departments' jobs for them," the Treasury spokesman was quoted as saying.