Multi-million pound cash boost for highway improvements in West Sussex

According to West Sussex County Council, the Government has awarded an extra £9.8 million for improving West Sussex Highways’ road network.

A total of £7.8m will be used for pothole prevention initiatives, with 'whole roads or parts of roads' resurfaced, extended areas of highway patched and 'more localised issues' dealt with.

This is on top of the £8m worth of road resurfacing and pothole prevention works already planned for this financial year, the county council said.

This comes after it was revealed that 7,079 safety repairs — mainly related to potholes — have been completed in West Sussex, since the UK Government imposed lockdown restrictions on March 23. Read more hereRoger Elkins, cabinet member for highways and infrastructure, said the extra funding is 'excellent news for all road users in West Sussex'.

He added: "This, together with the funds we had already allocated, means a total of £15m is planned to be spent on pothole prevention measures.

“This level of commitment to improve our highway network shows how seriously we take the issue of potholes, which we appreciate is a source of frustration and concern for all road users.

“It also shows we want to find longer-term solutions to the pothole issue with the emphasis on preventative measures rather than short-term fixes, wherever possible, and where finite resources permit.”

The county council said work programmes are currently being finalised and further information will be released 'when available'.

A spokesperson said: "The remaining £2m, out of the extra £9.8m, will comprise safety-related improvements and other enhancements for road users, such as new signs and road markings."

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