Richard Benyon, MP for Newbury, said he was delighted by the news this week from the Department of Transport that West Berkshire Council had been successful in bidding for extra funding.
He commented, ‘This is £3 million extra in the pot which will make a huge difference to the amount of work that West Berkshire Council’s Highways department can do to maintain our roads and bridges.’
The money has come through the second tranche of the Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund. West Berkshire was one of 19 local highway authorities in England, outside London, which were successful in bidding for funding which, in total, will enable projects worth more than £95 million to go ahead.
The Council’s application was for 11 specified sites across West Berkshire where roads required urgent maintenance, some affected by winter flooding over the past two years. It was also for repairs to road bridges in Hungerford, Theale, Aldermaston and Crookham Hill.
Richard said, ‘These projects can now be brought forward which will help keep traffic moving and bridges open with the minimum of delay and disruption.’