The total amount was allocated among 32 local authorities to carry out road repairs. Credit: Kevin Phillips from Pixabay.

The UK Government has announced an investment of around £93.4m for essential road and bridge repair works.

The total funding was allocated among 32 local authorities, which will invest in road projects to reduce congestion and improve connectivity.

The projects include rehabilitating the New Elvet Bridge in Durham, as well as multiple steel bridges around Northumberland.

UK Roads Minister Baroness Vere said: “There is nothing more frustrating than a journey delayed by poor road conditions, and this multi-million pound boost will help improve connectivity across the country.”

The government has allocated a further £900,000 for new research projects aimed at improving the country’s transport system.

Projects set to receive funding include a scheme to develop an AI-powered app that can identify potholes in real-time, accelerating the repair process.

The technology uses mobile phone sensors to detect potholes when cyclists ride over or swerve to avoid them.

In addition, the Shape-Pot project, which seeks to enable autonomous road maintenance, will also receive government funding.

This project creates 3D pothole models to help build an autonomous pothole repair platform.

University of Liverpool senior lecturer Paolo Paoletti said: “The Shape-Pot project has the potential to change the way roads and their defects are managed, promoting a data-driven approach to management and improving efficiency, making roads safer and more accessible.”

Earlier this month, the UK Government agreed to fund three trial projects that utilise traffic data to reduce road congestion.

Selected through a competitive process, the three projects were allocated a total sum of £1.5m for the trials.