THE COUNTY council has vowed to spend nearly £10 million on improving roads in the county after one of the worst spells of bad weather in decades.
The extra money will fund a two-pronged approach: repairing thousands of potholes caused by recent freezing temperatures; and an upgrade to the overall state of the county's road network.
One million pounds will be invested directly in fixing pothol
es, and we already have more than 20 extra maintenance gangs working, around the clock where necessary, to seek out systematically and repair them within the next few weeks.
East Sussex County Council will also be tackling the problem of highway drainage, where ditches and road gulleys have become blocked.
The remaining £8.5m will fund a two-year programme of improvements to the county's road network, with work due to start in the spring.
"We will be working closely with utility companies and developers to plan these roadworks and to keep disruption to a minimum," said a council spokesperson.
Councillor Matthew Lock, Lead Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said, "We recognise that, like many other parts of the country, our roads have suffered as a result of the recent freezing weather, but following this announcement residents can look forward to better and safer roads.
"In the meantime, while repair work is being carried out, we urge motorists to drive carefully and according to the conditions of the road.
"We're putting warning signs up in areas where potholes are worst. It is important drivers take note of these and reduce their speed accordingly."
