Tuesday March 11th 2025
A section of the B7015 route at Stoneyburn crossroads has recently undergone re-surfacing works between the Five Sisters Bing and the junction of the B792.
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
The figure was released as the council engineers unveiled a £6m capital investment plan for the county’s roads.
The plan includes two major roads in Bathgate highlighted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week in need of resurfacing – Edinburgh Road and Menzies Road.
Councillors were told at this months Bathgate Local Area Committee that the ongoing squeeze on council finances meant money was tight for major projects and the council relies on pothole patching to maintain the county’s roads.
West Lothian council maintains 659 miles of adopted road in the county, as well as assorted infrastructure such as bridges, street lights and drainage gullies.
Further investment will be directed towards, maintaining 594 structures, 48,176 street lights and 38,180 gully drains.
In 2024, 4,541 pothole defects were repaired – an average of more than 12 potholes every single day of the year. The majority were reported in the winter months when a mixture of rain and frost causes road surfaces to crack.
Road maintenance takes place day-to-day with several million pounds spent each year on work to maintain and improve our roads, paths and street lighting – which includes things such as pothole repair.
The capital expenditure work scheduled for this year includes £2.2 million in improving West Lothian’s A, B, C and U class roads. Roads to receive significant investment this year will include:
– The A70 from Auchinoon to Halfway House near Harburn;
– The A89 between Dechmont and the Kilpunt Roundabout;
– The B9080 Winchburgh Main Street to the Council Boundary;
– The C1 road from the boundary with South Lanarkshire to Harestanes, Armadale;
– U class roads in Aitken Orr Drive in Broxburn, Drumshoreland Road in Pumpherston, Ladywell East Road in Livingston, Menzies Road in Bathgate and Murieston East Road between Easter Bankton and Bankton Gardens in Livingston.
£1.3 million on roads projects including Road Casualty Reduction schemes, Traffic signal improvements and active travel schemes.
Around £2 million on structures such as bridges, with the Almond Valley Bridge and Houston Interchange in Livingston both receiving significant investment £980,000 for street lighting improvements, which includes investment in Uphall and the Eliburn and Knightsridge areas of Livingston
£326,000 for flood prevention schemes, including Broxburn.
Tom Conn, the Executive councillor for Environment and Sustainability said: “Upgrading our local roads and infrastructure is vitally important and it’s a process that never ends.
“It’s a role that our roads team undertake each day and the council will continue to improve the road network around the county this year, and direct a significant amount of funding towards the maintenance of the local road network.”
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