Wiltshire drivers should soon see an improvement in road conditions around the county, as Wiltshire Council are investing millions into their roads.

An extra £10 million is being invested on top of the £14 million the council already spends on road maintenance.

On Tuesday 12 September, the council agreed that they will make the extra injection of cash over the next two years on road resurfacing and maintenance.

This is on top of the £14 million they already spend on roads each year.

“£10m is a huge investment into improving the resilience and safety of Wiltshire’s roads, and one made possible because of our strong financial position,” said Councillor Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport.

“The money will help to prevent potholes and defects forming over the winter months and make our roads safer for all users,” she added.

Stuart Fuller from Pewsey is just one of the many road users whose life has been negatively affected by potholes on the roads.

“Yet another pothole got the better of me in May,” he said.

“This is four tyres in 14 months. It is costing hundreds of pounds to drive on these roads due to tyre damage, and to say I am frustrated would be an understatement,” he added.

The new resurfacing programme will be funded by the council’s capital funding programme.

The council states that it is a preventative measure, and that the resurfacing will include small local repairs to highways, verge repairs on rural road, reducing the number of potholes forming on the road network and preventing further deterioration.

This will also save officer time by reducing the number of ad-hoc inspections required.

Wiltshire Council currently manage approximately 2,700 miles of road, and they resurface an average of 40-80 miles each year.

With this new funding in place, it is expected that this will increase to at least 130 miles each year.

The council have also invested an extra £1.3 million to renew road signs, repaint road markings and repair drainage.

“We know how important Wiltshire roads are to our residents, businesses and visitors, and that’s why before we start this programme, we are going to give our area boards the opportunity to comment on areas identified for improvement and highlight roads they see as a high priority.

“We will also ensure that roads in all of our 18 community areas receive attention,” assured Coun Thomas.

The Council will begin with identifying the roads due to be resurfaced, before official work begins from April 2024 until the end of 2025.