All drains to be cleared by March and annually after that
21/05/2025
There are 145,000 highways locations to be visited by the contractors
By March next year every highway drain, gully, manhole and catchpit in Oxfordshire will have been emptied and cleaned as part of a £2.6m programme.
Contractors working on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council have started work on the project, with 145,000 highways locations set to be visited and worked on.
Drain cleaning has previously been carried out on a four-year cycle, although those in areas most at risk of flooding and on high-speed roads were cleaned more regularly. All drains will now be cleared annually.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “We recognised the need to improve drainage, especially following the flooding in the county last year caused by exceptionally wet weather.
“This money will be used to empty gullies, carry out improved drainage management, and repair the infrastructure connecting the gullies to the outlets. Improving drainage also helps protect roads by getting water off the surfaces, reducing the risk of potholes forming during freezing weather.”
Waste is removed from the drains using suction pipes and then they are cleaned with jets of water. Some may require digging out by hand if a lot of silt has accumulated.
Motorists will be asked to make sure their vehicles are not blocking access to drains when the work is due to take place.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
