Kate writes a bi-weekly column for the Burton Mail. This column was originally featured in the 18th November print edition.
Over the past week or so we have probably seen more rainfall in a number of hours than we experienced over the entire summer period. This has a debilitating effect on our drainage system and road network.
This is acutely demonstrated on the A38 where rainwater can quickly collect after a deluge which overwhelms the existing drainage, leading to large pools of water on the carriageway and causing disruption to commuters and nearby properties.
Over the summer, the Environment Agency undertook works near Tatenhill Brook to improve the reliance of the waterway to cope with increased precipitation and to help to alleviate surface water that can build up on the A38 as a result.
National Highways has also outlined work it will be taking forward to the pipes underneath the carriageway itself to alleviate this mater. This is welcome but as we saw last week, there is still more work to be done before we can say mission accomplished with this issue of the A38.
This week is Road Safety Week and it is an important opportunity to raise awareness of safer roads and encourage safer speeds to reduce traffic incidents on UK roads. However, it is also an important time for me as a Member of Parliament to highlight where further investment in our road network is required to make roads safer.
A big part of this for me is the A38 and securing, as well as flood mitigation measures, improvements to several of the junctions and slip roads of this important trunk road to make it safer and easier for all road users. It was recently revealed through a data collection exercise that Staffordshire County Council has the second highest number of roadworks for any local authority in the UK.
Whilst road works do cause disruption, and I can appreciate a nuisance to commuters, they play a vital part in maintaining and improving the safety of our roads. It is good news that Staffordshire is one of the higher performers when it comes to road improvements, but I will continue to press for more investment on all our road, both local and A roads.
