More than 70km of road resurfacing and other vital highways improvements are to be made across Cornwall as part of an investment programme worth £9.1m.
Although not new money, the £9.1m is a reallocation of funds held by the council to bring forward previously proposed schemes which may have fallen by the wayside due to budget restraints as well as other work needed to upgrade Cornwall’s deteriorated road network caused by last winter’s bad weather.
Cornwall Council’s outgoing portfolio holder for transport Cllr Connor Donnithorne has been working with officers to come up with a programme of investment which will improve both major and minor roads throughout Cornwall.
Cllr Donnithorne said: “The £9.1m is one of the biggest capital investments in recent years, coming off the back of what residents and businesses across Cornwall have been telling me.
“Last winter was particularly bad when we had that bout of wet and then very cold weather which helped to massively deteriorate our road network, so I brought the officers together and asked what capital investment was required and so a pretty sizeable chunk of money will be invested for 78km (48 miles) of completely new road resurfacing. That’s Camborne to Liskeard, in terms of distance.
“There will be particular sites, some in south east Cornwall where the road network is deteriorating, and around Camborne and in the Penwith area as well.”
Of the 78km of surface treatment, 38km includes bus routes, while 15km features cycle paths.
The work will be on top of the £5m from the Government to repair potholes across the county.
Cllr Donnithorne added that the council is also increasing the regularity of rural roads inspections across Cornwall.