Green light given for pothole repairs to begin on major Welsh roads
A programme of works to repair thousands of potholes on some of Wales’ major roads has been given the green light.
The £25m refurbishment programme, announced earlier this year by the Welsh Government, is funding 22 projects across Wales’ strategic road network.
The work will improve the condition of over 100km of road and help its future resilience by fixing and preventing around 30,000 potholes.
This is in addition to the tens of thousands of potholes that are due to be fixed through a local government borrowing initiative, announced in March, enabling councils to unlock £120m of funding to speed up repairs on local roads.
Bridge schemes
The programme of works, some of which is already underway, includes two bridge schemes to repair seven bridges, 18 resurfacing projects and two footway programmes covering 10 community locations throughout Wales.
Some examples of these works include:
M4 Bridge Deck refurbishments, repairing five bridges between Junctions 37 and 38
A470 Caersws resurfacing, fixing, and preventing over 1000 potholes over 3.4 km
A494 Mold Bypass resurfacing, fixing, and preventing over 1400 potholes over 4.9km
Since 2021 the Welsh Government has spent more than £81m on resurfacing around 321km of roads on the trunk network across Wales. Combined with the forecasted spend for 2025-26 this means that by the end of this Senedd term £118m will have been spent to repair more than 500km of roads that connect our communities.
Key priority
Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates said: ”Fixing our roads is a key priority.
“The comprehensive programme of works that are being delivered as part of our £25m investment will help improve the future resilience of our strategic roads network and prevent potholes.
“I am pleased to hear that some of this work has already started with more to follow in the coming months. I look forward to seeing some of the end results.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Everyone, except the councils, know that repairing potholes is as effective as a sticking plaster…….. after being exposed to water the plaster will come off. A total waste of money!!
Only if bodged by the same people who’ll be paid to do it again in six months rather than fixed properly.
In Carmarthenshire I have seen pothole repairs and road resurfacing being done in the pouring rain. Again, everyone, except the council, know that a surface must be dry for anything to adhere to it.
I’m fairly sure that back in the day councils employed a clerk of works who would turn up to check if the work carried out was up to the required standard, now we get Billy Bodger turn up with some cheap tar, he’ll drop it in then tamp it down with his boot & away he goes until the next time.
Read this online. Quote: “EACH pothole reported in the Vale of Glamorgan last year cost an average of £735 to fix, according to a Freedom of Information request sent to the council.”
We can’t afford roads and Brexit.