4:00pm Thursday 10th April 2008
BLAENAU Gwent council is to spend £1 million on urgent repairs to its crumbling roads and pavements.
The authority's highways are in such a poor state that around £24.8 million is needed to bring them up to standard.
There is a huge maintenance backlog but a shortfall in finances available to maintain the infrastructure.
A council report said most of the highways budget is directed towards reactive repairs rather than planned maintenance.
But now the council is able to carry out a raft of essential maintenance work thanks to an unexpected £1 million loan funded by insurance savings.
It will mean 13 roads and 13 footpaths will have urgent repair works carried out.
Priority resurfacing works will take place in Aberbeeg, Abertillery, Blaina, Ebbw Vale, Tredegar, Trefil, Victoria and Waunlwyd.
In the largest of these schemes, £100,000 will be spent resurfacing Commercial Road in Abertillery.
Blaina High Street will have £89,400 spent on resurfacing, and Victoria Road in Ebbw Vale will have £82,400 worth of works.
Footpath improvements will be made in Aberbeeg, Abertillery, Blaina, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale, Llanhilleth, Six Bells, Trefil, Victoria and Waunlwyd.
In the largest of these schemes, £48,600 will be spent on drainage works along Village Road in Trefil, while £46,100 is earmarked for footpath reconstruction along Commercial Road in Llanhilleth.
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