£16m to fix Sandwell's potholes and repair roads
More than £16 million is heading to Sandwell to fund road maintenance projects and tackle the growing problem of potholes, it has been revealed.
The Government allocated the money as part of a £6 billion fund for local authorities across the country. The cash will be spent over the next six years.
Meanwhile, the Highways Agency has said 156 schemes will be halted over Christmas and New Year to help ease congestion on the roads.
A succession of severe winters and the devastating floods earlier this year have left councils playing catch-up with road maintenance.
Sandwell Council leader, Councillor Darren Cooper, today welcomed the cash injection which totals £16.8m.
"I think that we do pretty well in Sandwell for the state of our roads," he said.
"Any extra money they give us from central Government, despite the amount they have taken away from us in other areas, has got to be beneficial.
"It means that the money that we were potentially going to be allocating towards this will be able to be re-allocated to other areas."
Almost £512.5m of the money has been awarded to the West Midlands - with £104m heading to Staffordshire.
Elsewhere in the region, Wolverhampton is getting £11.7m, Walsall £12.6m and Dudley £15.8m.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "The £512 million I am announcing for the West Midlands will put an end to short term fixes and will mean we have committed £10 billion between 2010 and 2021.
"This huge investment is part of our long term economic plan to ensure we have a transport network fit for the 21st century."
Meanwhile, almost 400 miles of Highways Agency roadworks will be halted over Christmas and New Year to help festive journeys run smoothly.
The agency completed or put a stop to 156 schemes yesterday (Tue 23) - leaving 97.2 per cent of the agency's 9,628-mile network free of roadworks in time for the holidays.
Schemes now stopped until midnight on January 2 include bridge joint works along the M6 between junction 8 near Great Barr for the M5 and 10 for Walsall, 11 miles of roadworks between junction 10 for Walsall and 10a for the M54 of the M6, Churchbridge, Cannock roundabout works, 4.8miles of works along the M54 between junction 1 for Cannock and 3 for Wolverhampton and footpath repairs along the A449 in Coven.
