A programme of resurfacing and maintenance works have now been completed on 140 of Wirral’s roads and the council’s contractors aim to complete the majority of the remaining works before Christmas, according to the council.

Since the end of September, 100 roads have been resurfaced in addition to the 40 roads completed in the programme’s first month.

This year, Wirral Council has invested almost £6 million to maintain roads, fix potholes and repair other problems with the road surfaces. Throughout the road maintenance programme, three treatments (Micro Asphalt, Surface Dressing and Hot Rolled Asphalt) are used and two of these treatments are now complete with approximately just 16 more roads to receive Hot Rolled Asphalt.

The council said that while work is now progressing well, there have unfortunately been some inevitable delays due to bad weather and COVID-19 impacts. This means that eight of the roads in the programme will not be able to be treated this year but instead, will be added to the programme for spring 2021.

With 170 roads on the programme for 2020, more than 80% of the work has now been completed with only ironworks, including gullies for drainage systems, and some resurfacing work to complete.

Ironworks are one of the last steps in the road treatment or repair process, along with line marking, which includes uncovering and repairing manholes and gullies. Cllr Liz Grey, Chair for Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee, said: “This year, the coronavirus pandemic has made 2020 unusual and challenging for many residents and unfortunately our road works contractors have also had a first-hand experience of the impacts of COVID-19.

“Now that the crew are safe and have returned to work they are working round all of the remaining roads in need of completion. I would like to reassure residents that outstanding works will be completed or added to next year’s programme to ensure that our roads are maintained as well as possible.”