Plans, projects and improvements

The asset management strategy, our annual maintenance and road surface dressing programme, road resurfacing schemes, the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project, repairing potholes, bridges and structures, managing roadworks, and A592 safety improvements.

Annual road maintenance and improvement programme 2026 to 2027

We plan our highways repairs and improvements each year. This is known as our Capital Programme. We use a risk-based approach when we develop our programme, considering:

  • the condition our assets are in
  • safety inspections
  • plans for when assets need to be repaired or replaced during their lifetime
  • different priorities in our local areas

Our Capital Programme helps keep the network safe and reliable. It also ensures that it can cope with future demands. It supports investment across a wide range of highway assets, including:

  • roads and carriageways
  • footways and cycleways
  • drainage systems and gullies
  • bridges and structures
  • street lighting
  • pedestrian crossings and traffic signals
  • road markings and signs
  • road safety and accessibility improvements
  • public rights of way and other highway assets

2026 to 2027 highways maintenance programme 

We expect to spend approximately £53.9 million on maintaining and improving our roads during 2026 to 2027. This includes inspections, repairs, winter service and emergency response.

We will spend approximately £32.1 million of the Capital Programme on planned road improvement and renewal projects.

Key areas of planned capital investment include:

  • £20.2 million on carriageway maintenance and improvements. This includes resurfacing, surface dressing, patching and planned defect repairs
  • £3.5 million on bridges and structures
  • £2.2 million on drainage improvements and flood resilience measures
  • £2.1 million on footways and public rights of way
  • £1.5 million on street lighting improvements
  • £750,000 on local priority improvements. This includes road safety, accessibility, signs and road marking
  • £250,000 on new ideas and trials to help us improve how we look after roads and deliver our services

Although we make every effort to deliver the approved programme, priorities may change during the year. This may happen because of emergencies, severe weather events or newly identified defects.

Read the 2026 to 2027 Capital Programme Report to see the details of our improvement plan.

Where our funding comes from

We fund road maintenance through government grants and Council funding. In 2026 to 2027, we expect to spend about £53.9 million on maintaining and improving roads.

This funding supports:

  • preventative maintenance programmes
  • resurfacing and reconstruction schemes
  • pothole and defect repairs
  • bridge and structure maintenance
  • drainage improvements
  • street lighting and traffic signals
  • highway inspections and asset management activities
  • winter service and emergency response
  • network resilience and climate adaptation measures

We use a risk-based approach to decide how to spend funding. This helps us focus on the roads that need the most work and provide the greatest benefit to residents, businesses and visitors. 

Network inspections and condition monitoring

Under the Highways Act 1980, we have a duty to maintain the public highway in a safe condition.

We inspect all adopted roads regularly. We determine how often inspections take place based on road type, usage and risk. Busier routes are checked more often than quieter roads.

We use inspections, surveys and technology to check the condition of roads, including:

  • highway safety inspections:
  • SCANNER condition surveys
  • SCRIM skid resistance surveys
  • Vaisala RoadAI surveys
  • specialist bridge and structures inspections
  • drainage inspections and monitoring
  • street lighting and traffic signal inspections

This information helps us identify problems and decide which roads need repairs first.

Our preventive maintenance approach

It is better to prevent road damage before it happens. Where possible, we carry out repairs early to keep roads in good condition. Helping roads last longer, reducing costs and minimising disruption for road users.

We use four main types of highways maintenance:

Planned preventative maintenance

These are early repairs that help keep roads in good condition and stop them getting worse. This includes surface dressing and other treatments that protect the road surface.

Planned repairs and patching

Targeted repairs to address localised deterioration before more significant structural failure occurs. This includes planned patching programmes and defect repair initiatives.

Structural maintenance

We will carry out major resurfacing, reconstruction and renewal works where needed. This includes roads, footways or other assets that have reached the end of their service life.

Reactive and emergency repairs

Repairs carried out in response to reported defects, inspections or unforeseen deterioration. We complete permanent repairs on the first visit where possible.

Repair planning and prioritisation

We identify problems found during inspections, road surveys and reports from the public.

Our trained highway inspectors look at:

  • how serious the defect is
  • how busy the road is
  • location and visibility
  • the speed of traffic on the road
  • how likely people are to come across the problem
  • the risk to people using the road

We usually make emergency defects safe within two hours. We repair other safety problems according to risk. Some defects may be monitored or added to a future programme of planned repairs.

This helps us direct funding to the roads that need it most and keep roads safe and working well for everyone.

2026 to 2027 capital programme

We'll spend a total investment of £32.1 million on:

  • road resurfacing
  • repairs
  • drainage
  • pavements
  • bridges
  • street lighting
  • cycling improvements
  • local road safety projects

Road structural patching

We will spend a total budget of £2,669,177 by allocating:

  • £200,000 to the spray patching programme in Barrow
  • £250,000 to the spray patching programme in Eden
  • £250,000 to the spray patching programme in South Lakes
  • £262,777 to inlays and overlays in Barrow 
  • £518,800 to minor road patching in Barrow
  • £518,800 to minor road patching in Eden
  • £518,800 to minor road patching in South Lakes

Planned defect repairs

We will spend a total budget of £2,395,500 by allocating:

  • £25,500 to the route management strategy in Barrow
  • £70,000 to the route management strategy in Eden
  • £100,000 to the route management strategy in South Lakes
  • £280,000 to in-year planned defect repairs in Barrow
  • £820,000 to in-year planned defect repairs in Eden
  • £900,000 to in-year planned defect repairs in South Lakes
  • £55,000 to road markings and signs improvements in Barrow
  • £45,000 to road markings and signs improvements in Eden
  • £100,000 to road markings and signs improvements in South Lakes

Road resurfacing

We will spend a total budget of £8,530,950.

Barrow

We will allocate:

  • £160,000 to A595 Tippins Lane, Ireleth
  • £80,000 to A590 Walney Road, Barrow
  • £60,000 to C6002 Greystone Lane, Dalton
  • £60,000 to Stackwood Avenue
  • £45,000 to the rear of Kent Street
  • £45,000 to the rear of Norfolk Street
  • £45,000 to the rear of Union Street, Dalton
  • £35,000 to Nelson Street speed table renewal
  • £60,000 to Coronation Drive, Dalton
  • £20,000 to Matlock Road
  • £170,000 to Abbey Road, Barrow

Eden

We will allocate: 

  • £100,000 to B5288 Greystoke
  • £80,000 to A592 Brackenrigg
  • £230,000 to B5305 Catterlen Roundabout
  • £200,000 to B5305 Hutton in the Forest to Unthank
  • £490,000 to A689 Harbut Law to War Memorial
  • £200,000 to Barras phase one
  • £160,000 to Staingills, Culgaith
  • £270,000 to Long Moor, Drybeck
  • £150,000 to Carlton Hill Road
  • £140,000 to Archer Hill
  • £136,000 to Toasthmain to Swindale Crossroads
  • £280,000 to Keisley
  • £270,000 to Sunbiggin
  • £110,000 to Broadmeadows
  • £90,000 to Rawthay Side
  • £170,000 to A685 Newbiggin on Lune
  • £90,000 to Upfront Gallery
  • £120,000 to Dowthwaite Head to A5091
  • £180,000 to Howes Cottage to Hutton End Junction
  • £230,000 to Beckhouse to Boundary
  • £183,000 to Armathwaite to Ainstable
  • £70,000 to High Wiend/Holm Street, Appleby

South Lakes

We will allocate:

  • £1,000,000 to A5074 Bowness to Sandpool
  • £100,000 to A591 Rydal Road
  • £132,000 to A593 Park Coppice to Bowmanstead
  • £275,000 to A593 Troughton Hall to Sunnybank
  • £154,000 to A5087 Priory Road
  • £153,000 to B5343 Chapel Stile
  • £154,625 to B6257 Rose Cottage to Lowgill
  • £72,000 to B6257 Sedbergh to Firbank
  • £66,000 to Winster to Stile Brow
  • £74,000 to Kentmere
  • £165,000 to Greyrigg Head
  • £144,500 to Grizebeck
  • £70,000 to Fisherbeck Wood to Hag Wood
  • £48,500 to Lowgate to Brigsteer Road
  • £82,500 to A65 Endmoor
  • £44,500 to Rockland Road, Grange
  • £51,850 to Priory Lane, Grange
  • £49,200 to Newlands, Ulverston
  • £32,625 to Priest Lane, Cartmel
  • £83,000 to Broughton Mills
  • £118,500 to Low Oxen Fell
  • £23,000 to Stockbridge Lane
  • £102,000 to Church Road, Allithwaite
  • £59,900 to Blue Hill Road, Ambleside
  • £31,000 to Smithy Brow, Ambleside
  • £100,000 to Outcast Lane, Ulverston
  • £19,000 to Chapel Street, Ulverston
  • £140,000 to Helmside Road, Kendal
  • £195,000 to Hayclose Lane, Kendal
  • £61,250 to Popplemire Lane

Surface dressing preparation

We will spend a total budget of £1,993,130 by allocating:

  • £120,000 to pre-surface dressing patching in Barrow
  • £700,000 to pre-surface dressing patching in Eden
  • £1,000,000 to pre-surface dressing patching in South Lakes

Surface dressing

We will spend a total budget of £3,172,283 by allocating:

  • £325,000 to the surface dressing programme in Barrow
  • £1,150,000 to the surface dressing programme in Eden
  • £1,697,283 to the surface dressing programme in South Lakes

Highway drainage

We will spend a total budget of £2,196,836.

Programme activities

We will allocate:

  • £998,536 to minor drainage works across Westmorland and Furness
  • £29,200 to drainage safety inspections
  • £40,000 to drain jetting
  • £27,500 to drainage investigations and testing
  • £16,600 to drainage and network gully improvements
  • £40,000 to the ditching programme

Major drainage schemes

We will allocate:

  • £100,000 to Naddlegate, Burnbanks
  • £100,000 to Beanthwaite
  • £100,000 to Station Inn and Back Helm Lane
  • £100,000 to Hollin Bank
  • £63,000 to Fox and Pheasant Inn, Armathwaite
  • £56,000 to Ivegill Crossroads to Hillside
  • £50,000 to Storth

Footways and public rights of way

We will spend a total budget of £2,131,056.

Programme activities

We will allocate: 

  • £412,000 to minor footway patching
  • £74,250 to structural footway repairs
  • £50,000 to footway safety inspections
  • £120,000 to the public rights of way programme

Major footway schemes

We will allocate:

  • £110,000 to Dalton Lane, Barrow
  • £110,000 to Scar Close, Lazonby
  • £98,000 to Brent Road, Penrith
  • £83,000 to Andreas Avenue, Walney
  • £74,167 to Rowan Tree Crescent, Kendal
  • £68,000 to Greenside Road, Glenridding
  • £53,000 to High Street, Pooley Bridge
  • £56,430 to Burntbarrow, Storth
  • £45,375 to Swinate Road, Arnside
  • £45,270 to Westwood Avenue, Kendal

Cycleways

We will allocate our total budget of £148,288 to the cycling and walking improvements programme.

Bridges and structures

We will spend a total budget of £3,486,600.

Core asset management activities

We will allocate:

  • £205,000 to bridge assessment reviews
  • £130,000 to special bridge surveys
  • £30,000 to bridge diving inspections
  • £80,000 to public rights of way footbridges
  • £85,000 to the remedial works programme
  • £50,000 to investigations and monitoring

Major schemes

We will allocate:

  • £510,000 to Roger Howe Bridge
  • £280,000 to Shenstone Interchange
  • £280,000 to Little Lightwater
  • £130,000 to Kettleside Viaduct
  • £100,000 to Ruskinville Railway Bridge number 64
  • £92,000 to Dragley Beck Footbridge
  • £70,000 to Lunes Bridge
  • £60,000 to Cargill Bridge
  • £55,000 to Swinstone Widening
  • £180,000 to Lupton/Badgergate Bridge
  • £140,600 to Iron Well Bridge
  • £140,000 to Mill Bridge, Threlkeld

Street lighting

We will spend a total budget of £1,536,000.

Countywide programmes

We will allocate:

  • £500,000 to the column replacement programme
  • £150,000 to ad hoc GN22 column replacements
  • £100,000 to ad hoc footway lighting column replacements

Major schemes

We will allocate:

  • £60,000 to Main Street, Brough lighting upgrade
  • £50,000 to Acre Moss
  • £46,000 to Quarry Brow, Barrow
  • £42,000 to Hallgarth Circle, Kendal
  • £38,000 to Victoria Road, Barrow
  • £36,000 to Penny Hill Park, Penrith
  • £32,000 to Ash Mount Road, Grange
  • £30,000 to Macadam Way, Penrith
  • £64,000 to Station Road, Sedbergh

Local priority improvements

We will spend a total budget of £750,000 by allocating:

  • £180,000 to road safety improvements
  • £115,000 to signage improvements
  • £120,000 to road marking improvements
  • £175,000 to traffic management improvements
  • £160,000 to accessibility improvements

Innovation programme

We will spend a total budget of £250,000 by allocating:

  • £150,000 to the retexturing programme (WJ)
  • £50,000 to the Storth Prom slurry seal trial
  • £50,000 to cold applied road marking trials