MORE than £1 million of funding is to be spent on a programme of highways improvements across the county.

The cash for maintenance and repairs to roads and bridges has been made available by Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet.

A further £300,000 will be spent on measures to make the county’s roads safer and reduce the number of collisions at higher-risk locations.

This money will be spent on 23 road safety engineering schemes at locations experiencing a higher than average number of collisions.

It will have a particular focus on roads where more serious collisions occur and where people have been killed or seriously injured.

The work includes measures such as clearer signs and lines, lighting improvements, anti-skid surfacing and verge work to improve visibility.

South Lakeland will receive a £265,400 slice of the cash with £67,800 earmarked for the A5074 Brook Road to Biskey Howe, Windermere.

There will be £55,900 made available to resurface the road from Gillinggate to Kendal Town Hall while road improvements along the A595 from Soutergate, Ulverston, to Sandside will receive £36,700.

Other areas to get cash for re-surfacing works are: Burneside Road, Kendal (£11,700); Beehive Lane to Singleton Parks Road, Kendal (£50,600); Skelwith Bridge to Skelwith Brow (£22,700) and Bramhaw to Queens Drive - Toll Bar, Sedbergh (£20,000). And £110,000 will be spent on remedial works at the bridge on the A6 at Hucks Brow.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron described the announcement as “welcome news” but added: “The roads announced for funding today are just a few of many in a poor state – we need to make sure a lot more roads are fixed and potholes are mended throughout the county.”

In Eden £28,000 is to be made available to resurface the road outside Shap Primary School.

The work programme agreed by the Cabinet links in with the £30m Highways Transport Capital Programme for 2013/14 approved by the county council in February.

The Cabinet’s decision determines how £670,000 will be spent on road surfacing schemes on A roads and £382,000 on six bridge/structure repair projects Coun Keith Little, CCC’s Cabinet member responsible for highways and transport, said: “The county council is investing in Cumbria’s highways to make them safer and more robust.

“Most of our highways investment was agreed in February as part of the main budget process, but today’s decision confirms exactly how over £1.3m will be spent from now until April 2014.

“We have prioritised the work so that the investment is being made in locations which have the greatest need and will reap the greatest benefits.”

Engineering works to improve road safety in South Lakeland and Eden A683 Casterton - £1,000 to relocate and change existing bend warning sign near Casterton Golf Club Erecting ‘road narrowing’ warning signs at a cost of £1,800 on the advance to the Pheasant Inn junction Rayrigg Road, Windermere - £12,000 to be spent on re-surfacing of centre of road and re-marking white lines Advanced direction signs at Rayrigg Meadow car park and bus/parking laybys at a cost of £4,000 A6 Blackhall Road, Kendal - provide keep clear/yellow box marking to imrove visibility at pedestrian crossing costing £1,000 A5084 Lowick Green - remove chevron signs and posts from bend at the Old Vicarage. Remark existing SLOW road markings on approaches to bend north of Land Rover garage.

Also erecting THINK BIKE at entry points along the route.

A685 Kirkby Stephen - Improve existing chevron signs for easten bound traffic at Midland Cottages near Kirkby Stephen station. Erect new chevron signs for western bound traffic. Place double white lines on bend and add SLOW markings on red texture-flex next to existing warning sign prior to bend.

A685 Kaber Junction - renew junction markings, replace existing bend sign and add SLOW markings