Wiltshire Council adding £10 million to highways pot over two years
It's on top of the £14 million already allocated to roads maintenance
An extra £10 million will be spent by Wiltshire Council in the next two years, to maintain and resurface the county's roads.
The funding's been approved on top of the £14 million that's already been allocated to highways in this financial year.
The authority says the additional money will go towards 'preventative maintenance and a road resurfacing programme'.
That's aimed at reducing the number of potholes forming on the road network, mitigating the risk of further deterioration; improving road safety and customer satisfaction; and reducing the number of highway defect reports to the council.
They've said that would save officer time by cutting the number of ad-hoc inspections required and expensive reactive works.
Work on fixing potholes will continue as a separate project, with £2 million of existing funds and £3.6 million granted by the Government.
Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, said:
“£10m is a huge investment into improving the resilience and safety of Wiltshire’s roads, and one made possible because of our strong financial position and prudent financial management.
“The money will help to prevent potholes and defects forming over the winter months and make our roads safer for all users – and is on top of the £1.3m extra we have invested in renewing road signage, repainting road markings and repairing drainage, plus more than £500,000 we have invested in litter collection for the next two years.
“We manage around 2,700 miles of road here in Wiltshire, and usually we can resurface around 40 to 80 miles each year. This new funding will enable us to resurface at least 130 miles of road each year, plus address deterioration in rural road verges, making it easier for people to get to where they want to go and helping to boost the local economy.
“We know how important Wiltshire roads are to our residents, businesses and visitors, and that’s why before we start this programme, we are going to give our area boards the opportunity to comment on areas identified for improvement and highlight roads they see as a high priority. We will also ensure that roads in all of our 18 community areas receive attention.
“In our Business Plan, we have committed to having vibrant, well-connected communities with an efficient and effective transport network, and this considerable £10m investment will help us to achieve that.”
Roads that could be resurfaced will now be identified by Wiltshire Council, with area boards given the opportunity to comment.
Works is due to begin from April 2024 until the end of 2025.