A significant number of Herefordshire’s C and U roads are to be improved as part of the Department for Transport’s £2.558m additional investment for highways.
Feedback from the public has consistently emphasised that road conditions are a priority concern for residents, and this specific focus on local C and U roads is to enable improved links between our rural communities.
The programme of works will begin with patching repair work over the coming months, in preparation for further injection of funding next year that will focus on an extensive surface treatment on areas of the network. Patching repair and surface dressing of the selected roads is considered the most appropriate use of this funding to arrest deterioration at this stage of their life cycle. A well designed surface dressing at an appropriate time in the life cycle of roads has been proven to extend the life of a road surface for over ten years. These works are in addition to the Council’s annual spend on the A & B classified parts of our road network.
This programme of works has been developed using asset management processes, including all available data, e.g. surveys and statutory inspections, to select sections of road that are at the optimum point in their life cycle for being surface dressed. In addition to considering existing highways drainage issues at sites, this programme will prevent these roads from deteriorating to the point where they require expensive resurfacing. Our delivery partners, Balfour Beatty Living Places, will deliver a programme and approach that is cost effective, will increase efficiency and will keep any disruption to a minimum. This programme will allow future years’ highways maintenance funding to be focussed appropriately.
Cllr Barry Durkin, Cabinet Member Roads and Regulatory Services, said: “I am delighted to announce this phase as additional investment in our local roads to help address the issue of highway maintenance. The benefits will include longer-lasting and more reliable road surfaces, reduce the instances of reactive maintenance into a planned programmed investment in the network; this will translate to more efficient journeys and less wear and tear on motor vehicles.
“Of course, there is simply not enough funding available to address all of the issues on our overall two thousand mile road network. To invest in one area of the county asset, or part of the county, inevitably carries a decision not to carry out repairs in other areas. We have listened to feedback from residents, and accordingly have chosen to focus on the county’s C and U roads in order to strengthen and improve these vital links between our local and rural communities.”
The full list of works will be announced shortly. For more information please visit our website.