Network North highway maintenance
At the end of 2023, the council received additional funding for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges, drainage, cycleways and footways from the government’s Network North plan made possible by the reallocation of High Speed Two (HS2) funding.
Additional highways funding – allocations summary
Southampton City Council has received:
- £378,400: additional budget 2023 highways maintenance and pothole repair funding, 2023 to 2024
- £268,000: 2023/24 local highway maintenance, additional funding from 2023 to 2034
- £268,000: 2024/25 local highway maintenance, additional funding from 2023 to 2034
Where is the additional highway funding being focused?
Details of the additional resurfacing and other work completed in 2023/24 or scheduled in 2024/25 includes:
2023/24 use of additional funding (£646,400)
| Roads (where work is planned) | Ward | Type of work | Indicative cost | Surface area | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A33 Millbrook Road West (flyover) | Millbrook |
|
£250,000 | 3,600 sqm | Strategic route into City Centre supporting the regional and local economy, Southampton’s port and cruise industry |
| Osborne Gardens | Portswood | Road and footway recon | £125,000 | 300 sqm | Accessibility and flooding issues for local residents and community |
| 2024 repairs strategy – citywide focus on statutory minimum maintenance approach | All wards | Road and footway surface repairs | £268,000 | 3,000 sqm |
|
2024/25 road repair strategic approach (£268,000)
| Roads (where work is planned) | Ward | Type of work | Indicative cost | Surface area | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsclere Avenue | Woolston | Road resurfacing and patching repairs | £287,000 | 2122 sqm | Maintenance of an important community/residential distributor network supporting local bus services, access to two schools and community facilities |
Details of works completed in the year 2024/25 can be found on the roadworks, closures and improvements page and are updated monthly. In addition, the quarterly report is available for July 2024.
Our innovative approach to delivering highways maintenance
The Southampton Highway Service Partnership (HSP) is at the forefront of our highway maintenance delivery approach. Innovative solutions to traditional highway maintenance issues have been a core theme throughout the life of the partnership.
The review of new and innovative approaches to service delivery covers a wide range of focus areas including the following examples:
Safety
- Introducing crash cushion for low-speed traffic management deployment
Performance and best value
- Real time infrastructure monitoring through the HSP’s operational control room
Environment and sustainability
- Proactive watercourse protection and spill kits issued to all operational gangs
People
- Workforce protection with CCTV deployment to monitor third party incursions into work zones
- Continual improvement to personal protective equipment, ensuring it’s use
Quality
- Application of materials and construction standards to drive a right first-time ethos
Smart information
- Use of frontline apps to capture data, inform decisions and effectively communicate between teams
- Using machine learning software to identify road defects, alongside the visual integration of information across digital twin platforms
By continually improving the way services are delivered the HSP supports the effective day-to-day management of Southampton’s highway network, embracing opportunities within our forward-thinking organisations.
Street works permitting – supporting utilities and protecting our roads
Within the available street works legislation we use Section 58 of the New Roads and Street Works Act to prevent statutory undertakers from digging up the road for a period up to three years after the road has been resurfaced or reconstructed. This does not prevent utility work required as an emergency or needed to provide a new customer service.
We have monthly collaboration meeting with all statutory undertakers to discuss schemes throughout the year, aiming to save time and money for the network user.
Southampton’s local highways network - historic investment
In the table below you can find the total amount of investment in the maintenance of Southampton’s roads, bridges, highway drainage, footways and cycleways year on year over the past five years.
| Financial year | Department of Transport grant (highway maintenance block funding etc.) | Additional (2023 budget and Network North funding) | Southampton City Council additional capital funding | Total expenditure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019/20 | £1,761,509 | - | £4,000,000 | £5,866,451 |
| 2020/21 | £3,002,000 | - | £4,000,000 | £6,971,457 |
| 2021/22 | £2,128,000 | - | £8,400,000 | £10,520,554 |
| 2022/23 | £2,128,000 | - | £12,800,000 | £14,912,377 |
| 2023/24 | £2,128,000 | £646,400 | £10,225,000 | TBC |
| 2024/25 | £2,128,000 | £268,000 | £2,000,000 | TBC |
