Highways funding boost welcomed as calls for link-road continue
Telford and Wrekin Council has welcomed a significant injection of nearly £7 million from the Government to bolster highways projects across the borough over the next 12 months.
The £6.89 million funding boost from the Department for Transport will enable the council to undertake vital resurfacing programmes, improve junctions, and enhance road safety around schools.
The announcement comes as Councillor Lee Carter, Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, expressed his delight at the funding while reiterating the urgent need for a new link road connecting the M54 to the M6 north.
Speaking about the funding, Councillor Carter said: "The additional £6.89m from the Department for Transport is extremely good news and over the next year will enable us to tackle pothole repairs through major re-surfacing programmes on roads and footpaths, undertake junction improvements as well as delivering more to improve road safety in and around the journey to school."
He also highlighted how the funding will support the council's "Pride in Our Community" commitment, leading to further improvements in road signs, markings, and minor street furniture repairs reported by residents.
However, Councillor Carter emphasised that the focus should remain on the proposed M54-M6 link road, describing it as a "game-changing scheme" that should be a top priority for the Government. Last month, Telford & Wrekin Council, alongside several other local authorities and Midlands Connect, urged the Department for Transport to initiate the project, which is expected to significantly reduce congestion and emissions by removing over a million vehicles from local roads.
"This proposed link-road would unlock countless benefits not only for our borough but for the whole of the Midlands," Councillor Carter stated, extending an open invitation to the Secretary of State for Transport to visit the site and witness the potential of the scheme.
In addition to the £6.89 million for local highways schemes, which increases the Council’s 2025/26 capital programme budget to nearly £18 million, the authority has also received an extra £1.88 million in maintenance funds from the Government specifically for tackling potholes. This additional funding will further support the council's ongoing efforts to improve the condition of roads across Telford and Wrekin.
