Investment in road repairs approved

North Ayrshire Council is to spend millions on a wide-ranging programme of maintenance investment into roads, lighting and bridges.

The council’s cabinet last week agreed the maintenance programme for the next 12 months which will see works carried out in every part of North Ayrshire.

This includes bringing forward £700,000 of additional funding to accelerate the programme which will see an investment total of £5.6 million in roads and footways, £1.25 million in lighting and £710,000 for structures such as bridges during the year ahead.

This will include a series of road repairs on Arran but the final programme for the months ahead is still being finalised.

David Hammond, head of commercial services, said: ‘This is a significant investment in our roads, street lighting and other infrastructure. The cold and wet weather we have experienced over recent months has had a real impact on the condition of our roads.

‘By increasing the budget, we can accelerate our maintenance programme – which is something I know many of our residents will welcome.

‘During the winter months, our roads team works round the clock to help ensure more than 1,000km [620 miles] of North Ayrshire roads are kept safe and accessible.

‘This new investment will allow the team to deliver a substantial maintenance programme over the next 12 months.’

While the majority of roads in North Ayrshire are the responsibility of the council, the authority has no responsibility for the maintenance of the trunk road network which falls to Transport Scotland and its management contractor Amey.

The trunk road network includes the A78, the A737 from Kilwinning to the Renfrewshire boundary and A738 from the Pennyburn Roundabout to the A737 Dalry Road, Kilwinning.