Investment in repairing Oxfordshire's roads continues
Another multi-million pound investment in repairing Oxfordshire’s roads is a major boost for residents, according to a leading Cabinet member.
Oxfordshire County Council will be spending an extra £13m on capital funding on road maintenance in the coming financial year. This is on top of its existing £18.5m programme of work and follows last year’s additional £12m boost.
Last year’s extra cash saw more than 37 extra miles of road being resurfaced through a range of methods which also included surface dressing and micro-asphalting – both of which make road surfaces waterproof and extend their life.
This year’s additional money will be spent across Oxfordshire on resurfacing, drainage, bridge repairs and footways. One of the major projects confirmed for later this year will see the A40 from Thornhill to Headington Roundabout (inbound) resurfaced, benefitting thousands of road users every day.
Listening to residents and taking action
County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “We have listened to the views of residents about the condition of the roads and our investment is having a positive effect and will not stop.
“By spending more in the next financial year we will be able to keep doing more repairs on key routes so that they stay in a healthy state for many years to come regardless of what the weather throws at us.
“We are determined to improve the condition of our roads and we don’t want to let the well-documented financial pressures that councils face get in our way. This all contributes to Oxfordshire having a thriving local economy via improved transport links.”
Road tour of Oxfordshire
Cllr Yvonne Constance has also been visiting roads around the county that have benefitted from the extra £12m spent in the last financial year on resurfacing, to see the results first hand.
Cllr Constance’s tour of the county took her to Kennington Road, Marston Road, Cassington Road and The Garth in Yarnton, Shipton Road in Woodstock, Ditchley Road in Charlbury and Witney Road in Eynsham.
She said: “It was good to see first hand the difference that the money has made on some important routes in Oxfordshire.
“These improved roads will benefit the local communities as well as people from further afield.”