APRIL 2014 Osborne announces £200m fund to fi x potholes
www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk Richard Hayes
President, Institute of Highway Engineers
“I have been through the full statement and see that the proposal is to set up a £200 million pothole challenge fund across the UK. I presume that this will mean more bidding to government and as I said recently authorities are a little weary of this process. We welcome any new funding but across the whole of the UK this money will not go far. Osborne gives a number of potholes that can be fi lled, but now much long term maintenance will be provided? We await details of how the money will be made available.”
Paul Fleetham
Managing director, Lafarge Tarmac Contracting
Chancellor George Osborne confi rmed an extra £200 million pot to help councils repair potholes in his 2014 budget with local authorities invited to bid for funding (see reaction opposite).
This comes after the announcement that an extra £140million was being made available by the government to help repair fl ood-damaged roads.
Osborne also confi rmed that the government will introduce legislation to give new tax and borrowing powers to
the Welsh Government to fund their infrastructure needs.
This legislation will mean that the Welsh Government can start on work to improve the M4 in South Wales.
He also announced a £270m guarantee for the Mersey Gateway bridge. The Mersey Gateway Project is a major scheme to build a new six lane toll bridge over the Mersey between the towns of Runcorn and Widnes.
“It is encouraging that the government has recognised the poor conditions of our roads network and set up a £200 million emergency fund to deliver pothole repairs. Nonetheless, local authorities and their contractors are waiting for previously announced government funding to trickle down. There is an opportunity for government to follow through with increased funding and longer-term funding mechanisms, allowing councils to move from one-year costly cycles of highly reactive work to planned, preventative maintenance programmes and proper asset management.”
Chiswick Bridge restoration set to begin
Work to strengthen and refurbish the Grade II listed Chiswick Bridge will be carried out by Transport for London (TfL).
The bridge, which crosses the River Thames in West London, was opened in July 1933 and carries around 40,000 vehicles, as well as hundreds of cyclists and pedestrians each day. Survey work found that some sections of the bridge parapet and
internal structures have signifi cantly deteriorated. While it remains safe to use, some aspects need to be replaced to ensure that the structure can last for many more years to come.
TfL has been working with key partners to develop a programme that will repair the structure of the 80-year- old bridge and restore its heritage features. Parapets along the edge of the bridge will be strengthened
and the steps to and from the riverside repaired. A segregated cycle lane will also be installed on the footpath to improve facilities for cyclists. Concrete repairs will be made inside the structure to strengthen and restore the bridge and the existing footways and carriageways waterproofed and resurfaced to improve the overall look. Lighting across the bridge will also be upgraded.
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