Oxfordshire is set to receive more than £167 million for highway maintenance purposes.
The allocation will fund transport upgrades across the county over a three-year period, though the council’s highways lead has indicated the sum falls short of requirements.
Oxfordshire County Council has endorsed sending its local transport delivery strategy to the Department for Transport.
The blueprint outlines allocation of £245.5 million in central government grants across the 2026-27 through 2029-30 fiscal years.
Resources will target road surface repairs, public bus networks, walking and cycling initiatives, and charging infrastructure for battery-powered vehicles.
Gareth Epps, the authority’s transport portfolio holder, stated that the document marks another phase of investment in county transport networks.
He noted that work would continue maintaining and upgrading infrastructure for all travel methods throughout Oxfordshire.
While funding for active travel had increased, he said the allocation remained below anticipated levels as Whitehall acknowledges the council’s expanding capacity.
Epps added that reduced central government grants posed challenges, yet the administration remained committed to delivering enhanced transport options.
He indicated that further details regarding additional spending would be revealed subsequently.
The strategy also encompasses backing for Oxfordshire’s electric vehicle charging strategy alongside measures under the Vision Zero initiative, which targets eradicating all road fatalities and severe injuries by 2050.
Resources will further finance a pilot scheme addressing heavy goods vehicle movements to promote sustainable freight logistics throughout the region, plus establishment of a transport interchange in Benson.
Liz Leffman, responsible for highway construction and maintenance at the council, observed that while the government allocation matched expectations for highway work, a funding gap persists.
She emphasised that local authority resources supplement the central funding to address road deterioration.
Earlier this year, eighty-seven roads underwent surface treatment as part of an £8 million programme.
The authority reported that an exceptional winter season resulted in increased pothole formation countywide.
Surface dressing occurs after damaged sections have been repaired and involves applying a bituminous binder to the road surface.
Chippings are subsequently laid immediately to coat the binder layer.
During the previous year, the council treated over 1.4 million square metres of carriageway through full resurfacing schemes or preventive maintenance methods such as surface dressing, which can extend road lifespan by up to ten years.