40,000 Potholes to be Repaired in August with £4 Million in Funding

Hertfordshire County Council will be carrying out a flurry of highway improvement works in August, taking advantage of the lighter traffic and longer days.

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The council has received nearly £4 million from the Government’s Pothole Fund, which will be used to fix up to 20,000 additional pothole repairs across the county, taking the total of repairs to an expected 40,000 this year across the county. The council will also be replacing or protecting existing road surfaces on hundreds of roads, in a bid to prevent further potholes from developing.

In addition to the pothole repairs, the council is also investing £1.8 million in improving the A5183 between Markyate and the junction with the M1. These improvements are designed to reduce the risk of collisions, which will in turn help to cut congestion, journey times and emissions.

The council is also spending £102 million on more than 1,000 maintenance and improvement schemes across Hertfordshire’s 3,200 miles of roads and 3,500 miles of pavements and cycleways this year. These works include repairs and maintenance to pavements, roads, bridges and traffic signals, as well as improvements such as tackling safety problems, reducing traffic congestion, and making walking and cycling more practical and attractive.

• 74 local road surfacing schemes
• 33 pavement reconstructions
• 9 additional primary road resurfacing schemes
• 3 active travel funded schemes
• 4 bridge repairs
• 7 drainage schemes
• 3 signal repairs
• 1 x 20mph scheme
• 1 x school crossing patrol
• 1 bus stop

Resurfacing projects are in a variety of locations including Borehamwood, Cheshunt, Walkern and Watford, while active travel schemes are taking place in Buntingford, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City. Safer routes to school works in Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Wheathampstead are commencing now that the schools are closed for the summer holidays.

The council is encouraging residents to report any potholes or other faults they see on the roads by visiting the  Report a street light, pothole or other problem | Hertfordshire County Council.

Cllr Phil Bibby, Executive Member for Highways and Transport at Hertfordshire County Council said: “August is the ideal time for us to work on the county’s roads. Traffic is lighter due to the school holidays so there’s less disruption and longer days mean we have more time to get work done.

“The condition of our roads, pavements and cycleways really matter to our residents and they matter to us too. Our roads are in a better condition than the national average, but we absolutely know that there’s more that needs to be done.

“I hope people will bear with us while we carry out these important works. Although they will inevitably cause some short term disruption the end result will be better roads and pavements for residents to use.”

“We are prioritising work where it most needed and where it will have the greatest impact. This investment will make a real difference and help us to do even more to ensure Hertfordshire has the infrastructure our communities need.”

Many of the planned schemes are weather dependent and could be rescheduled if there is poor weather during the month.