Pothole fixes, 20mph zones and parking schemes - 238 road projects approved for Sunderland

Sunderland City Council’s ruling cabinet confirmed schemes as part of its capital spending plans for the 2022/23 financial year.

The ‘highway maintenance and integrated transport’ capital programme lists around 238 individual highways and maintenance projects, including works to bridges.

Projects have been prepared following community consultation with councillors and residents, condition assessments and surveys, as well as studies looking at traffic volumes or accident analysis in some cases.

The programme of maintenance includes stretches of the city’s key routes and junctions such as resurfacing at the A182/A183 Shiney Row roundabout, the A690 Durham Road, Toll Bar Road in Ryhope and works that were deferred because of the pandemic.

For bridge maintenance, works are planned at the A182 Washington Highway Chartershaugh Bridge over the River Wear, the A1231 footbridge, and at the Hetton Road interchange that carries the A182 Washington Highway over the A690 Durham Road.

Works on more cycle paths, 20mph schools zones and community parking schemes are also continuing.

Councillor Paul Stewart, cabinet secretary, introduced a report on the highways programme to Tuesday’s cabinet meeting at City Hall.

Cllr Stewart told the meeting: “The city’s highway network is the most valuable asset managed and maintained by the council, valued at £2.2billion.

“Its importance to the economic development, growth and accrued social benefits cannot be overstated.

“Providing access to employment and other key services makes a well-maintained, safe and accessible highway network vital to a vibrant economy and gives its residents a sense of place.

“It is from within this context that the delivery programmes have been developed.”

Councillors heard that full council had already agreed allocations for highways, bridges and integrated transport as part of the 2022/23 capital programme.

However Government funding had been secured since, including £1.835million from the Department of Transport for pothole repairs, bringing the total programme cost to £9.539million.

Cllr Stewart added that the delivery of the highways programme would be dependent upon consultations, particularly for integrated transport schemes, the availability of design and construction resources and weather conditions.

Councillor Louise Farthing, cabinet member for children, learning and skills, welcomed continued investment into Sunderland’s roads and footpaths.

But councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said the current funding situation was “not sustainable” and called for more cash from Central Government.

“The Government really needs to up its investment in local authority roads and pavements by giving us a lot more money,” he added.

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