A major £5 million investment to prepare the county’s roads for the winter will be considered by Cambridgeshire County Council’s extra-ordinary Highways and Transport Committee next week (10am, Tuesday 28 July 2026).
If agreed, the new programme will deliver an extra 30km of preventative highway maintenance across the county, ahead of the colder, wetter weather.
The additional investment comes on top of record levels of highways maintenance funding, with over £78m of monies allocated for 2026-7.
Only £31.3m of the highways maintenance budget is provided by central government, with the rest funded by Cambridgeshire County Council.
It is proposed that an extra £5m is invested in more road patching, sealing and surfacing work across the county’s five districts.
Works included in the proposed programme include additional maintenance to the A1307 Hills Road Cambridge; A1301 Cambridge Road, Great Shelford; A142 Ely Road Soham; A1123 Hill Row Causeway, Haddenham; A605 Elton and B1099 Upwell Road, March.
The proposal, which will be considered at the Highways and Transport Committee held at New Shire Hall on Tuesday 28 July 2026, responds directly to public feedback and lessons learned from last winter, when extended cold snaps and heavy rainfall led to a sharp rise in potholes and road defects across Cambridgeshire’s roads.
This new programme will use innovative techniques including large-scale mastic screed repairs, and structural patching as well as crack sealing to protect roads before defects form.
These treatments extend road life, reduce the likelihood of potholes and improve safety for all road users.
Councillor Robin Wyatt, Vice-Chair of the Highways and Transport Committee, said: “Residents have been clear that improving the condition of our roads is priority and we hope this proposal for further investment shows we are listening to people’s concerns and learning from previous years.
"By acting now—before winter hits—we can protect our roads and make journeys better for everyone.
"This extra investment combined with our refreshed, prevention-focussed approach to asset management is a way we can deliver better value for money and help create a fairer and more sustainable Cambridgeshire for everyone.
"Highways across our area have been underfunded for decades. This is why we’re making record levels of investment in our road network and tackling the issue of Cambridgeshire’s aging roads through innovative solutions and preventative works."
The programme, if agreed by Councillors, will run from August 2026 to March 2027, with a strong focus on delivering as much preventative work as possible before winter.
A dedicated webpage will provide regular updates, and the Council will engage closely with elected members and parish councils throughout the works.
The Council will also run a pothole innovation trial in October. This trial will test new equipment and materials under real-world conditions to identify the most effective approaches for future highway maintenance.
The proposed £5m extra investment supports the Council’s wider ambitions to reduce carbon emissions, strengthen network resilience, and ensure fair access to well-maintained roads across Cambridgeshire.
