REVEALED: Every planned road repair in Central Lancashire over the next year

The authority’s cabinet has approved almost 200 individual highway schemes which include resurfacing work, street lighting improvements and bridge repairs.

A total of £22.3m will be spent on the projects, paid for by the annual highways maintenance grant from the government. The pot includes an expected £3.8m bonus in anticipation that the county council will once again be deemed amongst the most efficient in managing its highway network.

The largest share of the cash - £4.9m - will be spent on full resurfacing and ‘surface dressing’ schemes on Lancashire’s A, B and C-classified routes.

However, the largest number of individual projects will be carried out on the region’s unclassified minor routes, which will see 89 jobs completed over the next year - including nearly 70 on residential roads.

The programme of works has been prioritised following a survey of road conditions, which considers the life expectancy of a surface and special modelling to forecast when it will deteriorate. The number of defects identified and compensation claims and complaints received about individual roads are also factored in, along with the strategic importance of the route.

A report presented to cabinet members noted that there is insufficient government funding to maintain the county’s highway assets “to a good condition”

However, Lancashire also allocates around £6m from its own resources to fund day-to-day pothole repairs each year. That figure has reached £8m in recent years, because the authority rectifies any defects which meet its minimum level for intervention - meaning that the work is dependant on demand.

At the council’s budget last month, plans were approved to spend an extra £5m on the roads this year - and that funding is due to be allocated within the coming weeks.

Keith Iddon, cabinet member for highways said that the recent winter storms had taken their toll and left a long list of repairs.

“Our roads and transport infrastructure support many aspects of everyday life and are vital to our economy, ensuring people and goods can travel efficiently. We know that keeping them in good condition is a real priority for residents and businesses.

“Our highway teams are currently working hard to keep on top of the potholes, but as soon as the weather warms up they’ll once again be underway with a busy programme of work to resurface and waterproof our roads to prevent potholes appearing in the first place,” County Cllr Iddon said.

Cabinet also approved almost 20 road and cycling safety schemes totalling £1m out of a separate £6m integrated transport grant from the government. The majority of the fund will be spent on City Deal transport projects in Central Lancashire and the M55 Heyhouses link road in Fylde.

All of the scheduled work is dependent, to a degree, on weather conditions.

WHAT IS SURFACE DRESSING?

The technique is a new way of treating the roads to protect them from one of the biggest threats to the condition of a carriageway - water.

“The worst thing that can happen is for water to get down into the lower levels of the road surface - once that happens, the story of the pothole starts,” Phil Durnell, Lancashire County Council's director of highway told the Post last year.

“You don't even need freezing temperatures - just the hydraulics of vehicles pushing water down into the surface can start breaking up the Tarmac.

“We are now using a new system called the ‘lockdown’ process, which completely seals the road and also improves the texture for skid resistance.“We spray a surface coat onto the chippings we have laid down, to reduce the number of them which remain loose - and that means the road can get back up to speed sooner.”

WHERE WILL THE WORK BE DONE?

This is the complete list of every planned maintenance project in Central Lancashire during 2020/21:

CHORLEY

Bolton Road (A675), Hoghton, - resurfacing - Dole Lane to near the station house

Bolton Road (A673), Anderton - surface dressing - no.36 Bolton Road to Chorley Road

Westhead Road (A581), Croston - surface dressing - no.22 Westhead Road to no.25 Town Road

Shaw Brow & Town Lane, Whittle-le-Woods - resurfacing - east of Lady Crosse Drive to Preston Road

The Green (B5250), Eccleston - resurfacing - The Briars to Drapers Avenue

Brooke Street, Chorley - resurfacing - Eaves Lane roundabout to the Railway Bridge

Runshall Hall Lane, Runshaw Moor - resurfacing - Holt Brow to Runshaw Lane

Chorley Old Road, Clayton-le-Woods - resurfacing - Dog Inn Pub to no.146

Chorley Old Road, Clayton-le-Woods - surface dressing - Sandy Lane to the Dog Inn Pub

Great Meadow & surrounding roads, Chorley - surface dressing - Great Meadow & the cul-de-sacs leading from it

Pennine Road, Chorley - surface dressing - Eaves Lane to the rumble strips & the cul de sac behind the blocks

Lodge Bank, Brinscall - surface dressing - full length from School Lane to the end of the adopted cul-de-sac

FYLDE

Kirkham Road, Freckleton - resurfacing - house no.217 to Sunnyside

Kirkham Road, Freckleton - surface dressing - Preston New Road to house no.217

Weeton Road, Wesham - resurfacing - Garstang Road North to Kirkham Bypass

Lytham Road, Warton - surface dressing - Holy Family Church to Freckleton Bypass

Lower Lane, Freckleton - surface dressing - Preston New Road to the horse stables

Hillock Lane, Bryning - surface dressing - Church Lane to the junction of Harbour lnn

PRESTON

Fishergate Hill, Preston City Centre - resurfacing - Beech Street to Pitt Street

Woodplumpton Road and Tag Lane, B5411, Ingol - resurfacing from petrol station to Banksfield Avenue

Parkside, Lea - surface dressing - Blackpool Road to Deepdale Road

The Hills, Grimsargh - surface dressing - house no.22 to Longridge Road

Skeffington Road, Ribbleton - surface dressing - St Gregorys Road to New Hall Lane

RIBBLE VALLEY

Abbott Brow, Mellor - surface dressing - full length

St Marys Gardens and Brookfield, Mellor - surface dressing - full lengths

Higher Road, Chaigley Road & surrounding roads, Longridge - surface dressing - full lengths of Higher Road, Chaigley Road, Mersey Street, Hornby Road, Caton Close, Wellbrook Drive, Wheatley Drive, Wyndene Close, and Halton Place

SOUTH RIBBLE

Liverpool Road (A59), Penwortham - resurfacing - Chesmere Drive to Howick Cross Lane

Leyland Road (B5254), Penwortham - resurfacing - Pembury Avenue to Bee Lane

Vicarage Lane, Samlesbury - surface dressing - outside Highfield to Cuerdale Lane

Station Road, New Longton - resurfacing - Royalty Lane to near junction with Wham Lane

School Lane, Farington - surface dressing - Ulnes Walton Lane to Dunkirk Lane

Myerscough Smithy Road, Samlesbury - resurfacing - Whalley Road to no.1 Myerscough Smithy Road

Cross Street & surrounding streets, Leyland - resurfacing - full lengths of Cross Street, George Street and Baker Street. Derby Street; Cross Street to Preston Street. Clarence Street; Cross Street to the end

Grasmere Avenue & Windermere Avenue, Leyland - resurfacing - full lengths

School Lane, Longton - surface dressing - Chapel Lane to Briar Croft

School Lane, Longton - resurfacing - Briar Croft to Bentley Park Road

Cowling Lane, Leyland - surface dressing - Leyland Lane to Western Drive

Haig Avenue, Leyland - surface dressing - full length