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£27 million extra for Devon's roads

A bumpy ride (courtesy: 007fish)

Potholes are priority

Devon County Council is going to spend an extra £27 million on the county's roads this year, making it the largest ever annual investment in Devon's road network.

The news follows one of the wettest winters on record. The funding, from the government’s potholes fund, will be used to repair roads, increase pothole prevention and combat the damage caused to highways, bridges and structures during the winter.

The extra money has also enabled the council to improve plans already in place to tackle the effects of weathering and previous storm damage. Community knowledge will be used to highlight specific areas that require maintenance. Structural repairs of bridges and improvement of main roads and ‘B’ roads will be the priority.

Smaller roads, such as ‘C’ and unclassified roads, will receive the majority of the available funding, with a focus on improving the condition and resilience of high-usage local route networks. Bridges and structures and main roads will receive the remaining share, concentrating specifically on structural repairs and making Devon’s highways safer for all users.

In addition, the council has been awarded another £5 million from the Department of Transport to support the Teign Viaduct to Ashcombe Cross major maintenance scheme. The scheme is approximately six miles long and comprises of a maintenance programme to upgrade an important section of the A380. The upgrade includes resurfacing, drainage, bridge maintenance and structural repairs.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “The announcement of additional highway maintenance funding is great news for Devon. It will be integral to providing appropriate long-term repairs to Devon’s road network and the safety of our highways. All parts of Devon benefit as a result of this funding. Devon’s covid-19 recovery has also introduced different challenges and new considerations for the improvement of Devon’s highways and the funding will be invaluable in enabling high-usage routes to be safe, properly maintained, and appropriate for active travel, like walking or cycling.”

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