Bolton Council says full cost of repairing roads is £92M

Bolton Council has confirmed that despite recently receiving an extra £1M from the government, the total one-off cost to get the borough’s highways fully repaired stands at £92M.

Long term advocates of repairing the boroughs roads like Cllr John Walsh, of Astley Bridge, say this shows that the authority must think tactically about the repairs it carries out.

Responding the £92M figure, Cllr Walsh said: “That is an aspiration that is clearly not going to be achieved in the medium term and that is why what we have got to do is repair potholes expeditiously.

“And by that what I mean what we’ve got to do is make sure that the funding we have for pothole repairs is used for repairs that last.”

Potholes on the Rose Lea junction with Hough Fold Way in January this year (Image: Public)

He added: “I would rather see a quality job done that doesn’t then have to be repeated than a slapdash one done which then means the pothole has to be repaired again not long after.”

This comes after Bolton Council announced its 10-year plan for road maintenance earlier this month, which includes almost an extra £1M in government funding.

The Highways Capital Programme sets out how additional funding will be released in two lots of £485,000 over this financial year and next.

This has been released by the government as part of the Network North programme, funded with money from the now cancelled HS2 railway link programme.

Potholes on South Drive/Stitch-Mi-Lane in January this year (Image: Public)

The same programme set out a 10-year plan for maintenance and repairs on major roads like Manchester Road, Chorley Road and Bury Road.

But a Highways Asset Management Policy and Strategy document published by the council in 2020 points out that Bolton’s highway network depreciates in value by around £18M every year.

The document said: “This year-on-year shortfall has over time resulted in a maintenance backlog on highway infrastructure.

“It is estimated the amount of one-off investment to get the infrastructure up to a condition which would allow them to be managed cost-effectively is £92M.

“Over half the backlog is attributable to deterioration on residential roads and footways.”

ALSO READ: Bolton Council to consider 10 year road repairs plan

ALSO READ: £100,000s of pothole funding to be concentrated on 'worst' roads in Bolton

ALSO READ: More than a dozen miles of roads repaired in Bolton- up from 5 years before

“Highways”, refers not only to roads but also streets, footways, footpaths and cycle routes.

Bolton Council says that long term planning like this will help to repair roads more effectively, but that the authority will continue to press for more investment.

A spokesperson “Any additional funding for road maintenance is always welcome, and the long-term commitment will allow us to plan ahead more effectively.

“However, we will continue to make the case for even greater investment in the highways infrastructure we all rely on.”