Spring is in the air and the council's highways teams are under way with their annual programme to fix the ravages of Winter across Westmorland and Furness.
Repairs can only be carried out when weather conditions start to improve and April is the earliest the highways crews can get out on the extensive Westmorland and Furness road network to remedy the worst effects of winter, when a combination of wet and freezing weather opens up any cracks formed over the previous months and creates potholes that expand and break down further as traffic passes over.
£32 million has been earmarked this year for highways improvements such as fixing potholes.
Last year's highways programme saw around 25,000 potholes fixed across Westmorland and Furness and this year's schemes will include more permanent pothole repairs, as well as full resurfacing schemes and surface dressing treatments to lengthen the life of other roads.
Work has also begun on programmes to re-mark and re-line roads where lines and markings have become worn and faded. Other vital upgrades, repairs and maintenance will be carried out on bridges and structures, footway resurfacing, public rights of way, drainage, streetlighting and traffic signals.
Westmorland and Furness Council is responsible for maintaining 2,600 miles of adopted roads across the area – the equivalent distance of travelling from London to the North Pole.
Highways repairs such as fixing potholes and carriageway surfaces are funded by allocated monies from The Department for Transport (DfT), not from locally collected Council Tax.
DfT has this year allocated Westmorland and Furness a 'baseline' capital grant of £23.4 million, determined on the length of the Westmorland and Furness road network, condition, traffic volumes and number of bridges and structures. In addition, a further £8.6 million has been allocated to Westmorland and Furness specifically to repair roads and tackle potholes.
Schemes set to benefit from the investment this year have been carefully prioritised based on safety inspections and assessments carried out throughout the year, ensuring funding is directed where it is needed most and this targeted approach is working, with condition surveys of roads in Westmorland and Furness starting to show improvements across the board.
In the last full year 2025/26, nearly 70% of A-roads in Westmorland and Furness were rated at the highest 'green' condition, up from just under 68% the previous year. Over the same period, the percentage of the worst 'red' condition A-roads fell from 4.5% to 3.8%. On minor B and C category roads it is a similar picture of modest, but definite improvements, with 52.7% rated at 'green', up from 49.6% in 2024/25, and the percentage of 'red' condition B and C roads falling from 11.3% to 9.9%.
Councillor Peter Thornton, Westmorland and Furness Cabinet Member for Highways and ICT, said: "As we drive around our local roads at this time of year, we know that more potholes seem to have appeared in the past few weeks and months, with the impacts of the wet and freezing winter weather taking its toll.
"We have a lot of roads in Westmorland and Furness. As a council we are responsible for 2,600 miles of adopted roads spread over 1,500 square miles. It is an aging asset and requires constant and ongoing investment to stay safe and functional.
"Government has pledged increased highways grant funding from next year to help tackle this maintenance backlog dating back many years due to under-investment.
"This year we will be working hard to ensure every pound that we have been allocated is well spent, investing millions of pounds in repairs and highways improvements, as well as taking preventative action to extend the life of our highways to ensure a more resilient network for years to come.
"We don't have the resources to fix everything, but by taking a targeted approach, focusing on the areas and roads in most need, we are starting to make a difference."
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