Durham County Council has committed £1.5 million over three years to improve road conditions, with preventative methods set to extend road surface life. The investment is described as a "game changer" by a council cabinet member.
Funding breakdown
The scheme allocates £750,000 in 2026/27, £500,000 in 2027/28, and £250,000 in 2028/29. Advanced techniques like Mastic Asphalt Patching and Spray Injection Patching will be used to prolong road longevity and reduce reactive pothole repairs.
Cllr Tim McGuinness, cabinet member for rural, farming and transport, said: "This preventive approach, when paired with new repair methods and traditional road resurfacing works, will be a game changer for the county's roads."
Existing investment and ratings
The additional funding complements the council's existing £12.5 million road improvement programme. Approximately 30,000 square metres of road surface is expected to be treated over the three years.
Earlier this year, the Reform-led authority prioritised improving road standards after receiving an amber rating from the Government. The Department for Transport's new mapping platform assesses 154 local highway authorities using red, amber, or green ratings for road conditions and efficiency of funding use. The council received amber for road conditions and best practice, while expenditure was rated green.
Council commitment
Cllr McGuinness added: "Our highways team does a lot of work to reduce the number of potholes across the county, and this additional investment will bolster these extensive efforts. Extra funding gives us the ability to prevent road defects before they develop and allows us to deliver targeted, preventative repairs."
He continued: "We're already investing £12.5 million into traditional surfacing works and we have a wide range of treatment techniques. We will continue to carry out regular safety inspections of roads and do all we can to reduce potholes across the county."
