As part of the additional £12m funding received from the Department for Transport in November 2018, Cumbria County Council has invested £615,000 into resurfacing a section of the B5288 between the M6 motorway bridge and Pallet Hill – one of approx. 100 projects the additional funding has been used for to keep Cumbria moving. The deteriorating condition of this section of the road required full resurfacing.
The additional funding was welcomed after years of raising awareness about the challenges facing Cumbria’s roads, and was provided with the condition that the money must be spent before the end of March 2019. The council’s highways department worked intensively to develop a list of proposed projects for the money to be spent on and successfully completed approx. 100 individual schemes using this money between November 2018 and April 2019.
The B5288 project was split into two sections, working with local businesses and residents to minimise disruption. Section one involved resurfacing a 2,220m stretch of road from the motorway bridge to Wreay village, while section two covered a 1,200 metre section from Greystoke North East towards Bunkers Hill.
During the works the removal of a 100mm inlay was removed and resurfaced. New kerb lines, re-setting the gullies off the carriageway and improvements to the laybys were also completed.
Cllr Keith Little, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “I am delighted that so much work has been done using this additional funding. We were pleased that the government recognised the challenges facing our transport network, and our teams have worked hard to ensure that the funding has been invested in to important projects all over the county.
“The B5288 is a vital artery connecting communities in the local area and the £615,000 investment will facilitate improved road safety and enhanced connectivity.”
