Telford & Wrekin Council in the UK has agreed to invest more than £55m over four years in a highways programme that aims to improve road transportation across the borough.

The council launched the Highways Capital Programme, for the period of 2020-2024, which includes a range of road upgrade and repair works.

With the investment, the council seeks to carry out carriageway maintenance work, footpath improvements, bridge renovations and the rehabilitation of other highway structures.

The investment will also be used to improve road safety, create more parking spaces and enhance drainage systems.

Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member for Neighbourhood, Commercial Services and Regeneration and councillor Lee Carter said: “We are ambitious and want to make sure that Telford & Wrekin has the best road, footpath and cycleway infrastructure and that we continue to prioritise safer routes to school, residential parking provision and that this investment touches every part of the borough.

“This is a significant £55.6m four-year investment, which will hopefully meet our ambitions to improve our transport infrastructure. This is no mean feat given the age of some of the infrastructure we are responsible for and with little sign that government will be providing extra funding for this any time soon.”

Telford & Wrekin Council is the local unitary authority of Telford and Wrekin in Shropshire.

Earlier this month, the council stepped up efforts to repair potholes in the borough during the lockdown implemented to contain Covid-19’s spread.

The UK has confirmed more than 154,000 coronavirus cases, as of 27 April.