Have your say on the roads to keep open as a priority during extreme weather
Friday, 26 August 2022
Residents are being invited to comment on which Central Bedfordshire roads are prioritised during extreme weather conditions.
We maintain a list of high-priority roads in what is called a Resilient Highways Network.
During extreme weather such as floods, storms, ice, snow, and heatwaves these roads are prioritised so they can remain available or, if they had to close, so they can quickly reopen.
These key roads connect town centres and communities, industrial estates, and business parks and keeping these main roads in use helps us to maintain access to vital services such as schools, railway stations, important food shops, petrol stations, hospitals, police and fire services.
Councillor Ian Dalgarno, our Executive Member for Community Services, said:
We are promoting sustainability to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change but we know that some of these future weather changes are unavoidable, so we need to be prepared.
We are experiencing more unprecedented weather conditions like the recent heatwave and, during these events, it’s crucial that we concentrate on the roads we must maintain and keep open to support and benefit residents, businesses, and our emergency services.
These roads are typically the ones we grit when cold weather is forecast as they are the most well-used and important routes that help keep towns and communities in Central Bedfordshire accessible.
The consultation runs until 9 October 2022. Find out more and have your say.
The Resilient Highways Network is reviewed every two years and is one of the requirements set by the Department for Transport for councils to secure additional funding from the government’s 'Incentive Fund'. This funding enables us to minimise the impact of adverse weather by prioritising key routes.