Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram has announced that nearly £4m will be dedicated to fixing potholes and repairing highways across the Liverpool City Region.

The £3.7m has been secured by Mayor Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to upgrade and repair key parts of the highway network which could also include bus lanes, cycle ways, foot paths and street lighting.

Set to be agreed at next week’s Combined Authority meeting, the funding will help deliver road repair and resurfacing projects across all six boroughs of the city region – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “Whether you’re on the bus to school, cycling to work or trying to cross the road with a pram, I understand the frustration that potholes cause to people trying to get about their daily life. Years of underfunding and cuts to vital local authority services have meant that many of our region’s roads are no longer fit for purpose – and it’s a problem that won’t go away on its own.

“That’s why we’re dedicating nearly £4m to make travel safer and more accessible for everyone – but this is just a down payment on my wider ambitions for our region’s public transport network. From our £500m fleet of publicly owned trains and hydrogen buses, to the £70m we’re investing in active travel infrastructure, we’re well on our way to building a London-style transport network that’s faster, cheaper, cleaner, more reliable and better connected.

“While I want our roads to be safer for everyone – my ultimate goal is to encourage more people to leave the car at home for short journeys. Because the more people we can attract to use public transport, the faster we can start to reduce congestion on our roads and improve the quality of air we all breathe – which is a massive win not only for our residents’ health, but for our planet too.”

The investment comes alongside Mayor Rotheram’s plans to develop the local Key Route Network – a cluster of major roads that are vital to keeping the people who live and work in the city region on the move, and key to boosting economic growth.

Last year saw the installation of dozens of pollution sensors across the city region highways network. Linked to traffic control systems the traffic sensors give local authorities access to real-time updates on air quality on key roads, helping to cut congestion and protect communities from harmful emissions.