Over £14 million is set to be invested in Calderdale’s highways network over the next 12 months, with the proposed work plan being discussed by the Council’s Cabinet.
The highways network is the West Yorkshire council’s largest and most valuable asset. Maintaining Calderdale’s mix of rural routes and busy commuter corridors is essential for supporting small businesses, enabling reliable travel, and reducing vehicle damage for residents.
However, Calderdale’s landscape with steep sided valleys and exposed hills, plus the borough’s vulnerability to adverse weather, puts additional pressure on the available funding and network condition.
To ensure resources are directed where they’re needed most, the Council’s Cabinet will consider the Highways Capital Maintenance programme report, which outlines the different sources of funding which the Council has received and how the money will be allocated to improve the highways network.
The programme aligns with the Council’s commitment to fix the borough’s roads and reduce disruption from roadworks. It aims to prevent issues before they become more problematic, reducing congestion caused by unexpected repairs, and improving road safety. It covers the whole highway network, including bridges, public rights of way and other highways assets.
Almost £10million would be directed to carriageway and footway repairs, covering carriageway resurfacing, road patching, surface dressing and footway reconstruction. The locations included in the programme of work have been identified through assessments, with considerations including traffic volumes, the importance of routes within the network, levels of usage, and the need to maintain access to essential local services such as the hospital, GP surgeries and community facilities.
Over £2 million would be invested in highways structures and drainage, with works proposed at a number of historic viaducts and raised structures, and improvements to drainage.
The remaining £2.2 million would be spent on a range of projects across the borough aimed at improving the highway network. This includes smaller-scale maintenance; improving the extensive network of public rights of way in Calderdale; creating safer roads; and upgrading signals.
The overall Highways Capital Maintenance Programme will be reviewed throughout the financial year to ensure that it can be contained within the approved budgets.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Cllr Darren Commons, said:
“We’re committed to delivering on the services which really matter to local people and one of our priorities is improving the condition of roads across the borough.
“We all want to get from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible, and through the annual highways maintenance programme we’ll be focusing on the most used routes, or those that serve important community facilities. We’ll also be looking at the condition of our many bridges, retaining walls and other structures that make up the highways network. The situation is challenging, but we’re determined to improve our network and put the needs of road users and local communities first.”
(Picture: Tom Curtis)
