The Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) has welcomed the government’s announcement to invest additional funding to repair over 11 million potholes.
At the Government’s daily coronavirus briefing on Thursday 14th May, Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, announced a multi-billion pound road and railway investment to help England recover from the economic impact of the Covid 19 crisis. This includes a £1.7 billion Transport Infrastructure Investment Fund to improve roads, repair bridges and fill in millions of potholes. In addition to this fund, the government is also accelerating over £175 million worth of road and rail works during the quieter period as people follow the guidance to avoid unnecessary travel. The Department for Transport reports that the number of potholes was “enough to tarmac a road stretching a third of the way around the earth.”
Welcoming the announcement Rory O’Connor, RSTA Interim Chief Executive, said: “The additional funding is welcomed both for helping to address the £11.14 billion local road repair backlog and for its recognition of the importance of having a well-maintained local road network for the national economic well-being.”