Argyll and Bute Council has said its £23m investment in the road network has been a success.

In February 2012, the local authority said it was to invest £21m in road reconstruction in the area, over a period of three financial years, taking it o April 2015. Additional funding from the Scottish Government brought the total package to £23m.

Work on the programme has now been substantially completed, with the remainder of the work expected to be completed by Christmas. Argyll and Bute Council has said the scheme has "seen an improvement to the overall condition of the network".

The work has included resurfacing, patching, surface dressing and in-situ surface recycling, and has helped to seal the road, stop the ingress of water, improve the general driving quality of the surface and reduce the need for reactive repairs.

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In addition to the engineering work, the council has also cleared surrounding scrub, carried out ditching and drainage work and improved sight lines.

As a result of the scheme, almost 90% of the area's key 'A' roads are said to be in a good or fair condition. More than 360 miles of road have been upgraded, around 25% of the total network. With the project continuing into its forth consecutive year, the council is to invest around £5m in works will will see around 45% of 'A' roads upgraded and 35% of 'B' roads.

Welcoming the ambitious scheme, Jim Smith, Head of Roads and Amenity Services, said: "The roads reconstruction programme has been a huge success, seeing a marked improvement to the condition of our road network. Our road infrastructure is absolutely vital, keeping our communities connected as well as conveying the vast majority of our visitors and the freight that is crucial to supporting our economy.

"Before this huge investment our roads had been on a pretty sharp decline. I am pleased to see that alarming slide arrested and the curve now moving upwards. I look forward to our roads team delivering further improvements over the next financial year."

(JP/MH)