Road plans laid out as part of highways maintenance

PAUL FAULKNER

HIGHWAYS bosses have laid out their road maintenance plans for the next 12 months.

Lancashire County Council’s (LCC) cabinet has approved almost 200 individual highway schemes which include resurfacing work, street lighting improvements and bridge repairs.

A total of £22.3m will be spent on the projects, paid for by the annual government highways maintenance grant.

Almost £5m will be spent on full resurfacing and ‘surface dressing’ schemes on A, B and C-classified routes. However, the largest number of individual projects will be carried out on the region’s unclassified minor routes.

The works programme has been prioritised following a survey of road conditions. The number of defects identified and compensation claims and complaints received about individual roads are also factored in, along with the strategic importance of the route.

A report presented to cabinet members noted there is insufficient government funding to maintain the county’s highway assets “to a good condition”.

However, Lancashire also allocates around £6m from its own resources to fund day-to-day pothole repairs each year. That figure has reached £8m in recent years.

Plans were approved in last month’s LCC budget to spend an extra £5m on the roads this year - due to be allocated within the coming weeks.

Keith Iddon, cabinet member for highways, said the recent winter storms had taken their toll and left a long list of repairs.

“Our roads and transport infrastructure support many aspects of everyday life and are vital to our economy, ensuring people and goods can travel efficiently. We know that keeping them in good condition is a real priority for residents and businesses,” he said.

Cabinet also approved almost 20 road and cycling safety schemes totalling £1m out of a separate £6m integrated transport grant from the government. These are the projects planned for A, B and C-classified roads in Hyndburn: