Wolverhampton £10m pothole and road repairs scheme starting within days

The programme will include resurfacing to tackle ruts and other defects on roads across the city.

Phase one will see surface treatment starting on Tuesday along streets including Newhampton Road West and Newhampton Road East, in Whitmore Reans, while resurfacing will be starting, in Dudding Road, in Parkfields, on June 10.

Works in other areas will be carried out in the summer months.

Wolverhampton Council said the action is part of its £9.7m Highway Capital Programme which includes additional funding set aside to fix potholes. Chiefs said this additional cash is being put towards the existing pothole budget and will ensure repairs are carried outin a timely manner.

Wolverhampton's transport boss Councillor Qaiser Azeem said: “Improving and maintaining our city’s roads is of vital importance to residents and visitors alike, which is why I am so pleased to see the start of works under our £9.7m highways programme.

“By making the most of all available funding, we are improving the condition and safety of our roads, something we know really matters to our residents.

“We follow a prudent and proactive strategy when it comes to identifying roads in need of surface treatments. That way we can prevent roads that are in an otherwise good condition from getting any worse, prolonging the lifecycle of our highways.

“The work which is to get underway in the city is just the start of the improvements that are planned for this year. These improvements will help support our local economy and ensure people stay connected.

“We are aware that potholes are a real bugbear for residents locally, as they are all across the country, and that is something we are determined to tackle. The council has made a major investment to improve our roads and make sure we provide a smooth and seamless journey through our city.”

Fixing potholes is among the council's priorities and in the past year it has repaired 6,800.

Highway improvements due in the current financial year include major maintenance, road safety and traffic management work, upgrading the council’s car park management system, street lighting improvements and Safer Routes to Schools programmes.

Improvements to ring road and city centre signs will also be carried out as well as road bridge repairs. In addition, there will be the completion of the council’s programme to convert older street lights to LED lamps to reduce carbon emissions. More than 24,550 street lights have already been converted.

Funding has come from external grants and council money. Since 2020 more than £30m has been spent on highway related improvements. Many of the projects have been carried out as a result of the council’s successful funding bids in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Work is already underway to replace paving in Dudley Street at a cost of £850,000.