Major investment to improve crumbling roads in Sandwell
More than £1 million will be ploughed into improving crumbling roads in a borough.
The major investment has been announced by Sandwell Council after it was revealed the number of potholes across the borough had almost doubled in the space of a year.
Roads the size almost 50 football pitches will be resurfaced in Sandwell over the summer.
It is hoped repairing the roads now will help prevent the emergence of potholes next winter, following the cold snap at the start of the year which took its toll on the region's roads.
More than 2,000 potholes have been reported by drivers in the borough since the start of the year. Highways chiefs said 61 roads had been resurfaced as part of a blitz since spring.
The work is expected to cost around £1million and will be in addition to further planned resurfacing and reconstruction work that will be carried out throughout the remainder of the year.
Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for highways and environment Councillor David Hosell said: “The roads were severely impacted by the winter's sustained bad weather. We had freezing temperatures and snow on the ground for many months.
“We’ve committed this money not only to pothole repairs but to resurfacing roads extensively to protect them for years to come.
“So, if you get a letter through your door or signs up in your street to say we’re resurfacing, please bear with us and park elsewhere while our contractors get the work done.”
It was revealed last month a total of 2,103 potholes were reported to the local authority between January 1 and June 11 this year compared to 1,320 in the same period the previous year.
Resurfacing in the borough is now done in a more environmentally friendly way through re-using hundreds of tonnes of recycled stone chippings.
The council’s surface dressing contractor Kiely Bros has developed a system that grades and washes the loose chippings recovered from newly resurfaced roads across the West Midlands instead of simply sending them to tip.
