Former Heathrow airports managing director and one time Concorde chief engineer takes over charge of the nation’s strategic road network from Graham Dalton.

Highways England has appointed experienced airports and aviation boss Jim O’Sullivan as the firm’s new chief executive.

O’Sullivan joins from Heathrow Airport Holdings (BAA) where he was managing director of the Airports Division responsible for all of the firm’s activities outside Heathrow Airport itself.

“The government has committed to the biggest investment in roads in a generation: there are more than 100 roads schemes in its Road Investment Strategy which Highways England will be responsible for delivering" colin Matthews, Highways England chairman

He takes over the post on Monday 22 June before formally taking over on Wednesday 1 July from Graham Dalton who announced his departure in January after 7 years leading Highways England the predecessor the Highways Agency.

“I am delighted to announce Jim’s appointment to lead Highways England in a new, challenging era,” said Highways England chairman Colin Matthew.

“The government has committed to the biggest investment in roads in a generation: there are more than 100 roads schemes in its Road Investment Strategy which Highways England will be responsible for delivering to provide safer, more reliable and much improved journeys on our busiest roads,” he added.

The Agency said O’Sullivan brings significant leadership experience to this key role and a broad range of experience working on safety critical transport projects, in the utilities industries at British Airways and Heathrow Airport.

An experienced engineer, he was previously managing director at Edinburgh Airport, and technical standards and assurance director at Heathrow Airport Holdings and spent four years at Central Networks (Eon UK) as capital delivery and field force director.

Before that he worked for British Airways for 14 years between 1988 and 2002, serving some of that time as chief engineer for Concorde and as technical director for the airline.

Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin added: “Jim’s experience of leading world-class infrastructure companies means I can be confident he will ensure that the benefits of the record investment this government is making in our roads delivers for drivers and businesses across the whole of the UK on time and on budget.”

Highways England was created in April  from the Highways Agency as the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating England’s motorways and major A roads.

O’Sullivan will lead the new business as it delivers its five year, £11bn programme of improvements to England’s motorways and major A roads by 2020.