A MULTI-MILLION scheme to end Lancashire’s pothole nightmare has been launched by the county council.

It will spend £25 million in the next five years using the latest resurfacing and road-sealing techniques to improve the state of roads and pavements.

Over the next 15 years the phased programme, starting with main roads, aims to ensure the current annual spend of £4 million to patch 70,000 potholes every year is a thing of the past.

The Lancashire County Council scheme covers thousands of roads in 12 boroughs including Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valley, Rossendale and Chorley.

It follows Blackburn with Darwen borough launching a similar £17.5 million four year scheme in July.

County highways boss John Fillis is confident the work will improve the ride for motorists, cyclists and bus passengers and reduce drivers car repair bills, showing clear results by 2019.

It will dramatically reduce the number of cavities needing filling in future while tackling pavement trip hazards, The first year uses the recent government £4.9 million reward for its existing work on improving road surfaces.

The new approach to maintaining roads, street lights, traffic signals, and bridges focuses on improving aging infrastructure to reduce future spending.

It involves the latest techniques including ‘micro-asphalting’, jet filling of potholes, and new surfacing compounds including an upgraded asphalt and chipping mix.

The 15-year Transport Asset Management Plan (TAMP) will prioritise key parts of the network in three stages, slashing maintenance backlogs by 2029/30.

Dangerous potholes will continue to get emergency treatment, The first five-year phase will focus on A, B and C roads and pavements, the second residential and rural unclassified roads, and the third bridges, street lights and traffic signals.