An additional £140m is to be made available to local councils to repair roads, including those damaged by the recent bad weather, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has announced.
Of that, £36.5m has been specifically earmarked for areas damaged by the floods and storms, bringing the total available to those areas to £80m, while the remaining £103.5m will be shared between English councils for road repairs.
Downing Street claims that the extra money brought the total government expenditure on road maintenance to more than £1bn for 2013/14.
The investment comes after the wettest winter on record, which has placed undue strain on the road network and damaged road surfaces.
McLoughlin said: "Having the right infrastructure in place to support businesses and hardworking people is a crucial part of our long-term economic plan. This extra money will help make a real difference to the millions of road users and local residents who rely on local roads, giving them safer and smoother journeys."
The AA president, Edmund King, said: "Even though we haven't had the traditional ice and snow this winter, the relentless rain has taken its toll on many roads. Some road surfaces have been eroded away by rain and cause particular danger for those on two wheels as well as damage for those on four wheels.
"The funding is welcome but we will still be playing catch-up once this money runs out."
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