AROUND £17m will be spent on improving Barnsley’s road network over the next year after the council signed off on funding earlier this week.

The £12.8m highways programme includes an additional £2m for highways works on local B and C roads that connect small towns and villages across the borough, and a further £2.2m to be spent on Active Travel initiatives, funded through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement,

The majority of the cash will be spent on resurfacing key routes such Wakefield Road, which connects the town centre to the border at Staincross, as well as Sheffield Road in Hoyland, Barnsley Road in Hoylandswaine, Church Lane in the town centre, Station Road in Darton and Barugh Lane, Barugh Green.

Six-figure sums will also be allocated to improving drainage, footpaths, traffic signals, street lights, bridges and repairing paving in the town centre on Shambles Street.

The funding was signed off at a meeting on Wednesday.

Coun James Higginbottom, cabinet spokesperson for environment and transport, told the Chronicle: “Barnsley Council is investing around £17m into the highway network in 2024/25, including an extra £2m allocated through this year’s balanced budget.

“Despite the national challenge, Barnsley Council is committed to chipping away at the backlog and investing in our borough’s roads as the 2024/25 Highways Programme demonstrates.

“Repairing roads, investing in communities, unlocking economic opportunities - that is what Barnsley Council is committed to doing.”