Investment Across the Highlands of £21.55 million
The Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee has approved all recommendations relating to the 2026/27 Roads Capital Programme, confirming a total investment of £21.55 million to maintain and improve the region’s road network.
Members agreed the full package of measures set out in the report, including the breakdown of the Roads Capital Budget, specific contingency funded projects, future programme governance and indicative Area allocations.
The Committee agreed funding allocations, confirming the distribution of the £21.55m Roads Capital Budget across base capital, top‑up funding, contingency and structures.
The approved capital budget includes:
- £7.8m for Roads Base Capital
- £12.15m top‑up to support priority schemes across all Areas
- £1m for emergencies and emerging issues
- £600,000 for small-span structures requiring replacement or significant repair
Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans, said: “This is a substantial and very welcome level of investment that will make a real difference to communities across the Highlands. Maintaining a safe and reliable roads network is essential for daily life, local economies and long‑term resilience. The budget approved by the committee strengthens our ability to address local priorities while planning responsibly for future needs. I want to thank all Area Teams for their continued hard work and commitment.”
Decisions on any additional contingency funded schemes will be delegated to the Assistant Chief Executive – Place, in consultation with the Committee Chair and Vice-Chair.Members also noted the indicative £19.037m allocation to Area programmes, ensuring that each Area will see an increase in available funding for 2026/27.
The amounts for each area will be updated once the latest Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey (SRMCS) results are available and adjusted for any carry forwards using the same methodology as last year.
Area Roads Teams have prepared their rolling programmes, which are presented to respective Area Committees.