Huge cash boost for road improvements

May 8 2008

ROADS across South Lanarkshire are to receive a £126m investment over the next eight years.

South Lanarkshire Council approved the cash for roads maintenance at a meeting of their executive committee last week.

It’s in addition to the authority’s existing annual roads maintenance budget of £10.45m.

Officials pointed out that an extended period of “substantially increased investment” was required if the authority’s roads and pavement network was to be brought up to an acceptable standard.

SNP opponents of South Lanarkshire’s Labour administration said the policies of the previous Scottish Executive were responsible for the bad state of the area’s roads.

It was also pointed out there was a £150m ‘backlog’ in road maintenance work and more funds would need to be made available to tackle the problem once the programme ends.

The cash will be divided between the council’s four geographical areas as follows: Hamilton (£32.76m); East Kilbride (£32.76m); Clydesdale (£44.10m) and Rutherglen (£16.38m).

Hamilton roads targeted by the scheme in its first year (2008-2009), at a total cost of £1.56m, include: the A723 Motherwell Road; the A71 Strathaven Road, Stonehouse; Canderside Toll to Cander Bridge and Broomelton Road, Larkhall.

Strathaven’s Hamilton, Lesmahagow, Muirkirk and Darvel roads will also be resurfaced during the first year of the programme.

South Lanarkshire Council leader Eddie McAvoy said this week that he expected the investment to “transform” the roads network.

He added: “Our roads investment programme will see more than 80 per cent. of the roads network improved.

“Records show that, year on year, South Lanarkshire is one of the biggest spending councils on road network repairs.

“However, we appreciate our roads network across urban and rural areas needs investment to bring it up to modern standards.

“This huge injection of funds will surely achieve this objective.”

The Conservatives, who support the Labour administration, said this week that it was their work behind the scenes which helped to produce the funding package.

“Improving roads was the main plank of our election campaign throughout South Lanarkshire,” said party spokesman Graham Simpson.

“Since last year, the Conservative group has been pressing home the case for better roads which, quite simply, are not good enough.

“We have shown as a group that we can have great influence in the way the council is run.”

But SNP enterprise resources spokesman and Clydesdale West councillor Ian Gray stressed that more money was needed to tackle the problem.

He said:“ There is something like 6.5 per cent. of the roads network which falls into an unsatisfactory level.

“That’s the worse performance indicator rating.

“This money does go a long way to meet the funding required but the current administration will need more money at the end of the eight-year period if it is to keep the roads maintained properly.”