Lincolnshire motorists slam state of road network after £235 million of funding sent to London

Motorists have raised concerns about the poor state of Lincolnshire’s roads, citing issues with potholes, uneven surfaces and inadequate temporary repairs.

Following the government’s decision to move £10 million from the cancelled northern section of HS2 to Lincolnshire’s road network improvements over the next two years, drivers are stressing the critical need for this additional funding.

The government has come under fire from northern mayors and local councillors for redirecting £235 million of the same funds to road improvements in London, reportedly contracting earlier commitments to invest in transport projects in the North and Midlands.

Outside Lincoln Central Car Park, Mel Caunt, 49, who frequently drives between Lincoln and Grimsby for her job as a nurse, voiced her concerns. She estimates there are at least 30 potholes in need of repair on that stretch alone.

“You don’t know you’re going to hit,” she said. “You have to be really careful.”

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When asked whether she believes the additional £10 million in government funding is sufficient to bring the road network up to scratch, she responded: “Probably not,” citing the vastness of the county as a significant factor.

Alongside the issue of potholes, Glenn Smith, 67, pointed out that there are numerous uneven roads and temporary repairs that are “falling apart,” leaving him “not particularly impressed” with the state of the infrastructure.

Mr Smith also noted the disparity in road funding between Lincolnshire and London, labelling it as rather “disproportional.”

“There are obviously a lot of roads in London, but we rely heavily on our road infrastructure to get about,” he continued.

Carl Heaton, in his 40s, identified potholes as a ‘massive issue’ throughout the county. He recounted a recent incident where hitting a pothole damaged the alloys on his car, leading to repair costs of around £100.

He described the situation as “not ideal”.

Lloyd Major characterised the state of Lincolnshire’s roads as “outrageous,” adding: “They’re really bad.”

While acknowledging that London, with its larger population, might require more funding, he expressed hesitation about the extent of the disparity in financial allocation between Lincolnshire and the capital.

“I don’t know how many roads there are down there, but it’s more dense, so I don’t know if that money will benefit more people,” said Lloyd.

He added: “Initially, it suggests a north-south divide, but I’d want to see the facts behind the headlines to determine if it’s a genuine issue or not, though it feels like it probably is.”

Another local motorist, who preferred to remain anonymous while on his way to collect his car from the car park, simply labelled the road conditions in Lincolnshire as “atrocious.”

Lincolnshire’s executive councillor for transport, Richard Davies (Conservative), said: “Any extra money is always welcome in our ongoing fight to keep the county’s 5,500-mile long road network operational, but the amount announced is just not enough.

“Since the start of 2022 we have been operating with a 25% cut in our road maintenance funding and the local results of that have been keenly felt.

“Through a series of unprecedented measures, LCC has put in a massive effort to provide an extra £19 million to the road maintenance budget for our county in order to make up some of the shortfall, but this just can’t continue. We don’t have the reserves to do this again.

“Government says that the allocations are based on the size of the road network, but compare London’s 8,450-miles to our 5,500-miles of, largely, rural roads which need much more maintenance, and you get some idea of the scale of issue that we’re talking about.

“It feels as though Lincolnshire in particular has again been passed over for a larger share of the much-missed funding that is so vital for us.

“What we have been allocated is very welcomed, but there is more that could be done. We want to do more, we have been working extremely hard to make every penny really count and we were hoping for more from the HS2 money.”

Where you think the HS2 money should be spent? Which roads are particularly bad in the county? Share your views in the comments below.