CUMBERLAND Council has announced investments of nearly £1million to improve road travel in the area this month.

Exact figures have not been released for other projects the council is working on so this figure may be higher, but it presents a continuation of roadworks for the council area that aim to improve road conditions, such as pothole repairs.

The figure is added to the £212million investment into the new southern link road in Carlisle, announced earlier this month.

The new southern link road will be 8km long and connect junction 43 of the M6 with the A595 at Newby West.

The road will include four new roundabouts, four new road bridges, a combined cycle and footpath on the northern side of the road, and four new shared-use overbridges.

Cumberland Council said the project will ‘unlock economic inclusive growth’ in Carlisle through the creation of jobs, attracting businesses to invest, reducing congestion, and creating the infrastructure to support the building of quality homes and community facilities.

The most recent announcement of road improvements is the resurfacing of Loweswater, with £179,00 invested.

Approximately 5,500m2 of road at Loweswater will be resurfaced, and a full road closure will be in place as a result.

A further £200,000 has been spent to improve the roads between Little Braithwaite and Newlands Pass, a project which includes planning out the existing road surface, adjusting and renewing all ironwork, and resurfacing with 6,561m2 of new stone mastic asphalt. 

Several potholes and patches will also be repaired on the southern end of the C2058 by the council.

In West Cumbria, £175,000 has been spent to improve roads at Southerfield and Smart Hill, which will see a recycling of the carriageway to create a new one, with the plan that this method will reduce cost and carbon emissions via travel.

Lastly, the council recently announced the completion of roadworks on a 2.5-mile stretch of the C2054 between Branthwaite and Kidburn Gill near Asby, after an investment of £366k, which they invested in 10,522m2 of pothole patching and resurfacing works.

Additional repair work from the council includes the repair of a wall in Penton which posed a threat to life beforehand and a pothole-repair project at Eleventrees,

The council said more is to come, which sadly for drivers means more delays and frustration.

There are several temporary traffic lights seen across the council area, such as in Carlisle city centre, frustrating commuters, and with more to come, it is hoped that the vital work causes as little disruption as possible.