Investment in Argyll and Bute’s roads continues to improve the network, latest surveys show.
Argyll and Bute remains in the top five fastest improving Scottish local authorities in terms of road condition.
The Annual Status and Options Report (ASOR) summarises the council’s road assets as at April 2018 and sets out future options that can be considered in terms of investment.
The latest Road Condition Indicator (RCI) Survey shows that a smaller percentage of the area’s roads (16.10%) are flagged as in a “red” condition and 45.83% are in the green zone.
Road condition is measured by the Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey (SRMCS) which assesses parameters such as surface texture and cracking, smoothness and rutting.
Since February 2018, investment in roads has prioritised cost effective treatments that will cover more area, seal cracks and prevent water penetration. This work protects previous investment until more robust treatments can be afforded.
Councillor Robin Currie, Policy Lead for Housing, Roads and Infrastructure Services, said: “Maintaining our roads is challenging. Nearly one third of our network is made up of unclassified roads, over 80% of the network is in rural areas and 23% are over peat, which costs more for construction and maintenance.
“We do all we can to make the most of the funding we have available to us, and thanks to the measures that have been taken, can see steady improvements being made. I’m pleased that these roads improvements have been made because of addition allocations, agreed by the council, in recent years.”