£361k boost to help fill in city potholes
GOVERNMENT CASH AIMED AT IMPROVING ROADS
Sunderland is set to get a £361,000 boost from the Government to tackle potholes caused by the winter weater.
It is part of a Government pot of £100million to help to repair any potholes and other storm damage announced by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling.
It will see Sunderland get £361,570 further funding on top of the cash already allocated to the city.
The Government says nationwide it will help repair almost two million potholes, as well as help protect the roads from any future severe weather.
It is on top of the £75million in Government funding already given to councils from the Pothole Action Fund this year, as well as the additional £46million boost for highways authorities announced just before Christmas.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “People rely on good roads to get to work and to see friends or family.
“We have seen an unusually-prolonged spell of freezing weather which has caused damage to our local roads.
“We are giving councils even more funding to help repair their roads, so all road users can enjoy their journeys without having to dodge potholes.”
It comes after Sunderland City Council carried out emergency pothole repairs on Wearmouth Bridge on Friday.
Workers carried out closures of lanes one and two northbound and lane one southbound near the Sheepfolds North turn from 10am for pothole repairs.
Sunderland City Council deputy leader Coun Michael Mordey said: “In order to minimise risk to the travelling public, it was necessary to undertake emergency pothole repairs on Wearmouth Bridge under temporary lane closures.
“The lane closures were scheduled to minimise traffic disruption and the repairs were quickly completed, but we apologise for any inconvenience caused to motorists.”
Cash has also been allocated to several councils nationwide to carry out specific schemes.
The announcement comes after the annual Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) study highlighted the poor state of roads, with 20% of carriageways in England and Wales having less than five years of life before becoming unusable.
They say spending on roads maintenance is “way short” of the amount needed and the gap between the sum local authorities in England and Wales received to keep carriageways in “reasonable order” and what they actually needed was £556million this year.
“An unusually prolonged spell of freezing weather” CHRIS GRAYLING