£60m pothole fund announced for Greater Manchester

The mayor of Greater Manchester will put £60m towards filling potholes across the city-region.

On September 2, Bev Craig watched on as resurfacing work started on Trevor Road in Eccles. Her £60m Pothole Fund will go towards repairing around 125km of road in a big effort to tackle the pesky pothole problem. 

The recently elected GM mayor believes this will increase the safety and reliability of the highways network, not just for cars, but for buses, trams and cyclists. 

Sorting out potholes formed part of her mayoral manifesto when campaigning to replace her predecessor, Andy Burnham. Ms Craig pointed out she didn’t need to hear about potholes on the doorstep, she could see the problem with her own eyes when travelling around the city-region.

Ms Craig said: “I’m investing in making sure our roads are modern, up to standard and getting rid of those potholes. The £60m Pothole Fund is going straight to councils, who will help us do that.

“I saw the problem for myself going across Greater Manchester. As a former council leader I know that, in too many places, the money just hasn’t been there to be able to invest upfront and plan how to fix the roads in a way to make a difference. 

“Too many residents, people in their cars, cyclists and pedestrians on pavements have said there are too many potholes on the roads and they are in a state of disrepair. This is practical and something quick I’m getting on with.”

Cold and wet winters, more traffic, and heavier vehicles using the roads are just some of the contributing factors to the pothole problem. This investment represents more than the annual budget the local authorities get collectively from the government each year in order to maintain their roads and pavements, according to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).

The £60m will be distributed, based on need, across the 10 Greater Manchester councils.

Salford city mayor and deputy Greater Manchester mayor Paul Dennett was also in attendance at Trevor Road. He was pleased to see his borough of Salford being amongst the first areas to benefit from this cash injection. 

Mr Dennett joined Ms Craig as the project manager walked them through the works. Construction vehicles and workers in hi-vis jackets were grafting away in the background as the pair faced the media.

Mr Dennett was quick to point out the 20-man team’s hard work, with 100 tonnes of tarmac laid over three days.

The Salford mayor added: “This will tackle our roads, pavements and all the potholes that are part and parcel of life for many drivers and commuters, wheelers and walkers across Greater Manchester. It will bring them back to a level of decency that we’ve not seen for some time.

“We already know that potholes are a real issue in Salford. Our residents, families and commuters are telling us this. 

“Given austerity since 2010, the council has lost £245m each and every year. Inevitably that has had an impact on our pavements roads, so this is really welcomed news.”

The extra cash comes from the city region’s transport budget, with leaders agreeing to reallocate funding towards highways maintenance. Cash will also go towards pavements as well as roads, with some going towards futureproofing surfacing to make them more resilient.

The funding allocations per borough are as follows:

• Bolton: £6,552,000
• Bury: £4,374,000
• Manchester: £8,155,000
• Oldham: £5,258,000
• Rochdale: £5,243,000
• Salford: £5,388,000
• Stockport: £6,820,000
• Tameside: £4,980,000
• Trafford: £4,992,000
• Wigan: £8,241,000