£40m to help rebuild flood hit roads in Cumbria and Lancashire

29/12/2015 | HIGHWAYS REPORTERS

The government will provide £40 million worth of funding to help repair flood-damaged roads and bridges in Cumbria and Lancashire.

The Department for Transport (DfT) will provide the funding to help communities in Cumbria and Lancashire recover from the effects of Storm Desmond and Storm Eva by helping to fund the repairs to key local transport infrastructure.

Highways England will start design and construction work to repair the A591, and investigate what is required to restore Pooley Bridge and Eamont Bridge, in Cumbria, in the new year. This follows assessment work that has already been undertaken.

The additional funding and the deployment of a Highways England construction team are part of the government’s wider commitment to help support communities dealing with the effects of the extreme weather over recent weeks.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin (pictured at Pooley Bridge in Cumbria) said: “We are determined to help families and businesses in Cumbria and Lancashire get back on their feet as soon as possible. This has been a very difficult time and I have enormous sympathy for people flooded out of their homes at Christmas. We will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the local communities as they strive to return to business as usual.

“A good local transport system is the lifeblood of this region and Highways England’s engineering expertise, backed by £40 million funding from the Department for Transport, will support the work already being done to repair local roads and bridges damaged by the storm.”

Jim O’Sullivan, chief executive of Highways England, added: “We understand the difficulties of people trying to travel in an area hit by flooding and we are doing everything we can to help Cumbria.

“On behalf of Cumbria County Council we and our supply chain partners will be working to rebuild the damaged section of the A591 as soon as possible so it is safe for road users, and to investigate what we can do to repair the A6 Eamont Bridge and the B5320 Pooley Bridge; this will allow the council to concentrate on other priorities to help its residents.”

This announcement builds on the government’s provision of up to £2m in the initial aftermath of the severe wet weather to enable Cumbria and Lancashire authorities to carry out an initial assessment of what repairs were required to roads and bridges.

The Department for Transport will continue to work closely with the local authorities in Cumbria and Lancashire in recovery efforts.

Highways England has already been assisting Cumbria with the assessment of the extent of flood damage to the local transport network. They will now focus on three major engineering projects across Cumbria:


  • Rebuild the crucial A591, the road which runs north to south through the heart of the Lake District, to allow it to be reopened as soon as possible


  • Investigate what can be done to replace Pooley Bridge, situated at the northern end of Ullswater, after it was completely swept away by flood water


  • Examine how the Eamont Bridge, near Penrith, can be rebuilt to be more resilient against future flooding.


The new funding package is in addition to the £6.1 billion the government has committed to local authorities across England to help maintain the condition of local roads, between now and 2021.

Highways InProfile

latest magazine issue
Highways jobs

Electrical Design Engineer

Grade 9 £34,314 to £37,938 - Grade 10 £37,035 to £40,476 - Grade 11 £39,513 to £43,693 - Grade 12 £42,708 to £46,731 p.a.
The Construction Consultancy Services (CCS) team provide client-side construction consultancy services across a range of professional disciplines to d Durham
Recruiter: Durham County Council

Park Operations Assistant - Thorndon Country Park

Up to £12540.50 per annum
This is a permanent, part time position on an annualised hours contract. This means you will be contracted to work a minimum of 964.59 hours per yea England, Essex, Brentwood
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Principal Transport Planner (Strategy)

£46,731-£49,764
We are looking for an experienced professional to join North Northamptonshire Council as a Principal Transport Planner (Strategy). Sheerness House, 41 Meadow Road, Kettering moving to Haylock House, Kettering Parkway, Kettering NN15 6EY, United Kingdom
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Highways Capital Delivery Manager

£50,788 - £52,805
To be responsible for the implementation of Welsh Government’s Renewal and Upgrade programme. Baglan, Port Talbot
Recruiter: South Wales Trunk Road Agent

Senior Engineer x 2

£47,532 –£55,620 per annum
Our people are deeply committed to providing excellent services to our residents, doing all we can to make lives as good as they can be. Hounslow (City/Town), London (Greater)
Recruiter: Hounslow London Borough Council

Senior Highways Engineer

£50,754 – £53,607 per annum
Our people are deeply committed to providing excellent services to our residents, doing all we can to make lives as good as they can be. Hounslow (City/Town), London (Greater)
Recruiter: Hounslow London Borough Council

Highways Capital Lead

£47,754 - £50,788
To be responsible for management of the Regional Highway Capital Delivery Teams South Wales
Recruiter: South Wales Trunk Road Agent

Senior Development Management Engineer

£37,938 - £44,711
In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce Coventry, West Midlands
Recruiter: Coventry City Council

Head of Highways

£66,366 - £85,284 pa
Highway Operations is a large division within the Planning, Growth & Infrastructure. Enfield (City/Town), London (Greater)
Recruiter: Enfield London Borough Council

Circular Economy Officer - FTC till the 31st March 26

£26526.00 - £31208.00 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
... England, Essex, Chelmsford
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Director Highways, Transport & Waste Management

up to £120k
There for Nottinghamshire. There for each other. There for you. Nottinghamshire
Recruiter: Nottinghamshire County Council

Director of Highways and Transportation

£126,909
We’re seeking a dynamic and innovative leader to spearhead our Highways and Transportation services. Essex
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Senior Structures Technician

£32,654 - £36,124 plus circa £2000 - £4000 OT (variable
To lead on the planning, delivery and reporting of the highway structures General Inspection programme. Baglan, Port Talbot
Recruiter: South Wales Trunk Road Agent

Assistant Director of Place Operations

£85,962 to £93,267
Bury is a proud and prosperous borough Bury, Greater Manchester
Recruiter: Bury Council

Career Grade Transport Planner (Carer Grade 6-8)

Grade 06 (£29,093 - £32,654) TO Grade 08 (£37,938 - £41,511)
This is a fantastic opportunity to work for a forward thinking and dynamic transport authority located in the heart of the North West Warrington, Cheshire
Recruiter: Warrington Borough Council

Principal Performance and Assurance Manager

£Competitive
We have an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated Principal Performance and Assurance Manager to join our Senior Management Team SBIM Avonmouth, Bristol
Recruiter: Amey

Principal Construction Manager

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Principal Construction Manager to join our dynamic Area 12 West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Amey

Electrician

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for two Permanent Electricians Tingley, Wakefield
Recruiter: Amey

Principal Engineer – Structures Capital Delivery

£43,693 - £47,754
To act as one of the Agent's technical experts for highway structures schemes and related issues South Wales
Recruiter: South Wales Trunk Road Agent

Senior Engineer Programme Management

£36,124 - £39,513
To support the Principal Engineer ensuring effective co-ordination, programming and contract administration. South Wales
Recruiter: South Wales Trunk Road Agent
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Latest Video

Subscribe to Highways today to ensure you keep your finger on the pulse of everything happening in the UK road network throughout the year.

SUBSCRIBE NOW