£13m to save our roads!

 

The county tops a list of shame published this weekend by the Local Government Data Unit with 19% of our roads deemed poor, four per cent worse than second on the list, Ceredigion.

 

Bad winters have been blamed with the poor summer also restricting access to repair the growing number of potholes blighting the local highways.

 

The Unit said overall 13.5% of Welsh roads were in a poor condition, but Gwynedd boasted the best highways with just 6.4% classed in that category.

 

But hard working Powys council said it is investing £13m in roads over the next two years as the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said councils collectively spent £90m repairing 1.7 million potholes across Wales and England last year.

 

Steve Holdaway, head of local and environmental services at Powys council, said: “Powys has a quarter of the road network in Wales with many of those unclassified and C class.

 

“The county council has recognised the investment required and through the Welsh government supported borrowing the council will be investing £13m in the network during this year and the next two financial years.

 

“We believe the investment will significantly improve the road network.”

 

But a report by the Asphalt Industry Alliance said it would take more than a decade to clear the backlog of repairs.

 

Potholes are formed when water runs through cracks in road surfaces, freezes and so expands, causing the surface to rupture and creating a void which later caves in under the weight of vehicles.