The Department of Environmental Services is responsible for maintaining the roads (technically known as 'carriageways') and pavements (known as 'footways') of adopted highways. An adopted highway is one where the local authority has taken on the legal responsibility for maintenance. The total length of adopted highways in Wigan Borough is 932km (583 miles). The control of weeds on pavements, footpaths, and highways is carried out by a contractor on behalf of Environmental Services. Spraying is carried out twice a year.
How do we maintain our highways?
There are three categories under which highway maintenance work can be said to fall:
- The council has an annual structural maintenance programme of planned work, consisting of road resurfacing and / or pavement reconstruction schemes.
- An annual programme to prevent the condition of roads and pavements getting worse is also carried out in the form of carriageway surface dressing or slurry sealing and footway slurry sealing. This does not involve digging down and rebuilding but is a kind of surface covering, rather like painting woodwork to prolong its life.
- A sum of money is provided to carry out minor repairs to areas of general deterioration, such as damage to pavements by motor vehicles, which is increasingly a major problem.
Reporting problems
The council carries out a regular inspection program on its roads and footways, and we appreciate the assistance of the public in alerting us to issues. To report problems on the highway, such as:
- potholes
- gullies
- flagstones
- kerbstones
- overhanging vegetation
...please use our online fault reporting service, or ring the Environmental Services Helpline 01942 404364.
To report other issues on the roadway, you may want to use the broken glass or spillages on the road online form or contact the Helpline.
Programme of Works 2008-2009
