MORE than 50 roads in Barnsley – across all 21 wards – are set to benefit from a £20m investment to improve the town’s highways network.
An extra £2m will be added to the £18.4m Highways Capital Programme by Barnsley Council to boost the town’s roads and side streets.
Cabinet members will be asked to approve the programme at a meeting on April 5, with a total of £20.4m being earmarked for work across the borough.
Senior highways officers have proposed improvements at more than 50 locations in Barnsley, meaning work will be carried out in each of the 21 wards.
The highway network is the most valuable asset the council owns.
The total cost to replace it in full is estimated at £2.1bn including carriageways, bridges and all other highway structures.
The proposed programme for the coming financial year continues our ‘prevention is better than the cure’ approach in balancing structural, preventative, and reactive maintenance to improve the resilience of the highway.
Coun James Higginbottom, cabinet spokesperson for environment and highways, said: “We’re proud to announce a substantial investment into our highway network through this year’s budget.
“The extra £2m will be used to repair over 50 locations across the borough – with over £20m invested into the network this year.
“Over the next three years, we’re delivering significant investment right across the borough; fixing our roads, investing in our communities, unlocking economic opportunities.”