Improvements to local roads

The quality of local roads is a very important issue in North East Hertfordshire, and I have been campaigning for road improvements locally. I have recently received an update from Herts Highways on the state of repair of local roads and what action is being taken on potholes.

The most recent annual survey to assess the condition of all roads in Hertfordshire shows that, for A, B, and C roads, the percentage of the network that is considered in need of attention is lower than expected. Especially given the wet weather of 2014 which caused a lot of damage to local roads, this is good news and shows the fine work that Herts Highways have done to keep our strategic roads in good shape.

Although the figures for U roads were not quite as good, I welcome the news that the balance of future programmes has been adjusted to add more emphasis to the U roads in order to address this, without unduly risking the condition of the A, B, and C roads. Some of this work has already been completed as part of the 15/16 programme of works, and this may be reflected in the results of the next round of condition surveys.

As for the pothole situation, nearly 8,000 potholes have been dealt with across Hertfordshire over the past nine months, and, as a result of the mild winter we have had so far, fewer potholes are being reported compared with last year.

The improving state of our roads is good to see, and I will keep up the pressure to ensure that our smaller U roads receive more focus over the next year and that any potholes that are created in these weeks of colder weather are fixed quickly.
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