A highways capital improvement programme of more than £29 million in investment has been given the green light by our Labour Cabinet.
A report on the Highways Capital Programme 2023-2027, considered and approved by Cabinet on Wednesday 26 April, highlighted the breadth of improvements to be made to the local road network over the next four years, and the scale of funding secured to support the works.
To facilitate the work, the council has secured funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority of £29.470m up to 2027 and £2.897m resource and development funding for 2023-24.
Sustainable travel is a key feature of the capital programme, with active travel funding secured to deliver the first phase of a high-quality cycling and walking route between Lea Green and Whiston Hospital as set out in the LCRCA Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.
£29 million in capital investment will over the course of the four-year programme target schemes in active travel, technology and communications, bridges and structures, and flooding and drainage, with £1.64m set aside for pothole repairs and £7.44m for planned carriageway resurfacing.
And the longer duration of the programme will provide increased certainty and a pipeline of work that will enable contractors to invest in local supply chains, maximising local job opportunities.
Councillor Andy Bowden, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said:
“With over 780km of highways, 1,000km of footpaths and 23,800 streetlights to maintain and improve, it’s vital that we have an effective plan for our borough-wide programme of works in the coming years, and that we secure the funding necessary to deliver it.
“The funding secured through our close partnership working with the Liverpool City Region and Metro Mayor Steve Rotherham makes a significant contribution to our plans, from ambitious projects to everyday costs.
“We are working hard to ensure that our borough is served by a safe and accessible road network that connects communities, leisure and employment and encourages sustainable and active forms of travel.”