DORSET has been allocated almost £16million to improve road safety, repair potholes and cut congestion.

The Transport Minister Andrew Jones has announced councils’ share of £1.2billion of local roads funding for 2017/18.

Dorset has been allocated £15,926,000.

This includes £1,070,000 to repair potholes, as previously reported in the Echo.

The funding will fill 20,200 potholes at a cost of £53 per pothole.

The rest of the money will be used to improve roads, cut congestion and decrease journey times.

It includes money from the new National Productivity Investment Fund, announced in the Autumn Statement and the Pothole Action Fund.

The majority of the money given to Dorset is part of the Highways Maintenance Block at £12,364,000, for maintaining the county’s roads with £2,492,000 coming from the new National Productivity Investment Fund.

The fund is to be spend on innovation and infrastructure that will directly contribute to raising Britain’s productivity.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “Roads play a significant part in everyday life linking people with jobs and businesses with customers, which is why this government is investing record amounts improving and maintaining highways across the country to help motorists.

“The funding we have allocated today is focused on relieving congestion and providing important upgrades to ensure our roads are fit for the future - helping to build an economy that works for everyone.”

The government is also inviting proposals from local highway authorities for £175million to upgrade some of the most dangerous local roads in the South West, where the risk of fatal and serious collisions is highest.

No roads in Dorset are eligible for this funding, with the A35 not a locally-managed road, but managed by Highways England.

A report earlier this year showed that crashes cost Dorset more than £200million in three years.

The report, which was the same one used to work out the roads which should get funding, showed the A354 and A356 were mediumhigh risk.

A national trial has also been launched to reduce the number of potholes.

The Department for Transport has began an innovative trial, in partnership with Thurrock and York councils which will use a pothole-spotter system.

High-definition cameras will be mounted to refuse collection vehicles and integrated navigation system and intelligent software will be deployed to identify road surface problems before they become potholes.