Argyll and Bute's Environment, Development and Infrastructure committee has approved how £12m will be distributed for road reconstruction and wider network improvements across the area.

The funding is the opening phase of a £24m, two-year programme confirmed in the Council's February budget.

The investment is intended to extend the life of road assets, strengthen network resilience and reduce the need for reactive repairs and additional capital spending over the longer term.

This year, £6.8m will go towards improving drainage and resurfacing roads throughout Argyll and Bute. Annual shares are calculated based on each administrative area's proportion of total road length.

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A further £2m is reserved for major, strategic schemes that would typically be unaffordable within the standard annual programme.

As part of this, £1.1m is allocated to improvements on Islay and Jura. To address ferry capacity and reliability challenges, materials will be delivered by barge, and works will use a modern deferred set, or 'cold mix', macadam that can be manufactured in bulk and used for longer after initial mixing.

The remaining £3.1m this year will fund safety measures, including surface dressing and preparatory works to seal roads, prevent water damage and improve skid resistance; replacing timber-post vehicle barriers; and better road signage where it is most needed.

Councillor John Armour, Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services, said: "We know that the condition of our road network matters to our residents and to our visitors. The Council continues to make road improvements one of its priorities and this is evident by earmarking significant funding for the next two years."