Residents can now find out more about how Cumberland Council maintains roads, tackles potholes and invests in the county's highways network following the publication of its first Highways Maintenance Transparency Report.
Published as part of a new national initiative, the report provides a clear picture of the condition of Cumberland's highway network, how maintenance decisions are made and where investment is being targeted to keep roads, pavements and other highway assets safe and reliable.
Cumberland Council is responsible for maintaining more than 3,700km of roads, 1,900km of footways, 675km of cycleways, 1,447 highway structures, more than 71,000 gullies and almost 28,000 street lighting columns across the area.
The report highlights how the council uses an asset management approach to prioritise investment, combining condition surveys, inspection data and community reports to identify where maintenance is needed most.
During 2025/26, Cumberland Council repaired 32,541 potholes and continued to invest in preventative maintenance, helping to reduce deterioration and extend the life of the network
The report also outlines plans for 2026/27, with projected highways maintenance investment of more than £40 million across carriageways, footways, bridges, drainage, traffic signals and other highway assets. Planned works include resurfacing and preventative treatments on roads, 39 drainage schemes, 87 bridge and structure schemes and a range of improvements to footways, cycleways and traffic infrastructure.
The report demonstrates how the council is increasingly using technology and innovation to support highway maintenance, including AI-assisted road inspections, thermal patching, recycling techniques, drone surveys and intelligent traffic monitoring.
Cumberland Councillor Denise Rollo, Executive Member for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places, said:
"We know residents want to understand how decisions are made about road repairs, potholes and highway investment, and this report provides a clear and transparent overview of the work taking place across Cumberland.
"Our highways network is one of the council's most important assets, supporting communities, businesses, visitors and economic growth. The report demonstrates the scale of the network we maintain, the challenges we face and the significant investment we are making to keep it safe, reliable and resilient.
"It also highlights our commitment to taking a planned, evidence-led approach to maintenance, helping us make the best use of available funding while delivering improvements that benefit residents across Cumberland."