Edinburgh roads: extra investment in resurfacing 'will start to make a real difference'

For the second year running, an additional £12.5 million was allocated for roads and infrastructure investment in the Capital, with the bulk of the money going to improve carriageways and footways.

Transport and environment convener Stephen Jenkinson said the extra cash meant the council could build on the record 460,000 square metres of roads resurfaced over the last year and make a real improvement in the condition of the city’s streets.

Resurfacing should not only improve the condition of the road, but also extend its life. Picture: Lisa Ferguson | TSPL

He said: “What this investment allows us to do is more of the same. Last year there was a record amount of carriageway received treatment, so in 2024/25, a total of 460,000 square metres was treated and I would expect a similar amount to be treated in 2025/26.

“You're nearing a million square metres of carriageway being treated in two years, which isn't insignificant. It's expensive but it’s a priority, so that's why we're cracking on with that.”

He said the official index on the condition of Scotland’s roads had shown an improvement in Edinburgh’s streets for the past four years.

“We want to see consistent improvement year on year because when we're putting a lot of money in we want to see a bang for our buck, but through time this will start to make a real difference in Edinburgh and make a significant improvement in the condition of the roads across the whole system.”

The planned roads and infrastructure investment for 2025/26 includes £12m for carriageway works and surface treatments; £3m for setted carriageways; £3.5m for footways; £1.2m for street lighting and traffic signals; and £1.5m for bridges.

Around 200 roads are on the council’s list for footway and/or carriageway work this coming year, including carriageway strengthening, which can involve major excavation; carriageway resurfacing; carriageway surface treatment, which involves surface dressing or micro-asphalt to slow deterioration; footway flags or asphalt; and footway slurry sealing, a preventative maintenance to slow deterioration.

Cllr Jenkinson said despite a limited number of contractors available to do the work, the programme was “realistic and deliverable” over the next 12 months.

He said the planned work wold not only mean an immediate improvement in the condition of Edinburgh’s roads, but also extend the life of those roads involved by around a decade, leading to fewer potholes.