Successful funding bid will safeguard vital roads

Lancashire County Council has been awarded an extra £3.16m for road repairs following a successful funding bid to government.The announcement today by the Department for Transport gives the green light for a programme of maintenance to 21 retaining walls which protect vital routes throughout East Lancashire.Following the council’s budget meeting earlier this month where an extra £5m was committed to keeping Lancashire’s roads in good repair, it brings the total investment for highway infrastructure in the coming year to around £48m.The work will be carried out over the next two years, with the county council contributing a further £0.8m towards the retaining wall repairs, totalling £3.96m.The county council is one of 32 UK councils awarded a share of the £93.4m Local Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund.The work to be carried out involves some major rebuilding of masonry sections and repairs to pointing on retaining walls at sites including:• Pendle – A56 at Lowerford and Foulridge• Rossendale – Burnley Road, Weir and Manchester Road, Baxenden• Ribble Valley – Accrington Road, Whalley• Burnley – Bacup Road and Accrington Road• Hyndburn – Burnley Road, Accrington