An investment of £13m will be provided by Wakefield Council to be put towards the improvement and maintenance of the district’s roads and footpaths throughout the next year, if approval is granted from key decision makers.
This comes as part of the annual road work programme, dedicated to the maintenance and improvements of the highway network. An integral element to these works is the responsibility to uphold the structural integrity of main and estate roads, of which cover over 932 miles.
An upcoming report before the cabinet, on 25th April, supplies a framework for how the money will be spent, whilst including roads, footways and footpaths, bridges and structures, drainage infrastructure and traffic signals.
A further inclusion for the programme is the community-focused accessibility improvements that are designed to facilitate and promote safer links to public transport through walking and cycling availabilities. These will also aid towards the fight to decarbonise the UK and achieve the greater ambition of carbon net zero.
Of the proposed budget, £3m will be put towards the resurfacing of roads, with a further £1m allocation for verge management to improve the safe and efficient use of the roads. Further safety implementations will come from £650,000 being earmarked to replace signage, road marking and reflective studs.
Glynn Humphries, Wakefield Council’s Corporate Director for Environment, Communities and Climate Change, said:
“Keeping our roads up to scratch is a top priority to keep everyone moving around our district.
“This investment allows us to deliver improvements that will be community-focused and that promote safer walking, cycling and links to public transport. These plans will reduce congestion and improve local air quality.
“It will also ensure our roads, footpaths and paths are as well-maintained as possible across our district. However, there will always be more that needs to be done and we will continue to prioritise those areas most in need.”
Following the election of the first West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracey Brabin, the funding for roads and transport in the region has been shifted responsibilities from that of a national government, to the West Yorkshire City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS). Whilst the process is still currently ongoing, Wakefield Council is expected to receive £8.7 million to spend from April 2023 to April 2024.
