A MULTI-MILLION pound project which will see scores of roads and footpaths receive a raft of improvements over the next three years has been approved.
Barnsley Council’s ruling cabinet members agreed its highways capital programme up until 2022, which will release £9.9m of available funds for work to be carried out in the coming year and a total of £30.9m for the three-year period.
A wide range of work is earmarked in the scheme, including existing infrastructure including carriageways and bridges, drainage, traffic signals, road restraint systems, footways, cycleways, street lighting, road signs and markings.
As part of the package, an estimated 175,000m square of highways will be repaired or resurfaced, while 26,000m square of footpaths are also included.
Coun Roy Miller said: “The programme is a key strategy for investment in the highway network. It will help make our roads more sustainable in the longer term and focus on keeping Barnsley moving for residents and visitors.
“It will help us build a better Barnsley through repairing and maintaining the network to support and attract new business, providing high-quality connectivity to jobs and business growth sites.”
In the short-term, £4m will be spent on Barnsley’s principal roads in 2019/20, £2.18m has been allocated for maintaining routes, while £845,000 will be invested in footpaths across the borough. Lowe Lane and North Lane in the Penistone East ward; Doncaster Road, Stairfoot; Highstone Lane, Kingstone; Everill Gate Lane, Darfield, Lidget Lane, Thurnscoe; Shaw Lane, Monk Bretton and Bamburgh Lane, Goldthorpe, have all been identified for resurfacing.
A council report added: “The highway asset is the single highest value asset the Council owns. The last reported gross replacement cost for the entire asset was £2.1bn.
“This asset includes carriageways; bridges and other highway structures; drainage; traffic signals; road restraint systems such as safety fencing; supporting earthworks; footways; cycle ways; street lighting; road signs; road markings and road studs.
“The proposed programme of works and investment in the highway network will have an impact on a significant number of highway users within the borough, but the investment in the highway network will make it more sustainable in the longer term and provide a better experience for highway users.”
