More than 1,150 miles of roads across the East of England are set to be resurfaced this year, as new government figures reveal councils in the region are spending £650 million on road maintenance.

The investment, which covers Hertfordshire and the wider East of England, is almost £75 million higher than the previous amount of support claim the government.

The Department for Transport says the funding will help tackle potholes, improve road safety and reduce the risk of motorists facing expensive vehicle repair bills.

The planned resurfacing programme covers a distance greater than the journey from Norwich to Helsinki, with the government claiming that increased investment is beginning to deliver improvements to roads across the country.

The announcement comes as potholes and deteriorating road surfaces remain a concern for motorists in Hitchin and across North Hertfordshire.

National figures submitted by local councils show that more than 10% additional resurfacing work was carried out last year compared with the previous year.

The government has committed £7.3 billion to road maintenance nationally and has now released a further £220 million in performance-based funding to councils across England.

Under the new arrangements, councils must meet specific performance targets to receive additional funding, with money potentially withheld from authorities that fail to demonstrate sufficient progress.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "For too long potholes have been a source of national embarrassment, forcing hard-working people from Norwich to Chelmsford to fork out for repairs and posing a danger to all road users. But today's figures show that we are starting to turn a corner.

"While we know there is much more to do, our record funding, combined with tough new rules holding councils to account, mean that drivers are making safer, smoother journeys while giving people roads they can rely on."

The government says greater emphasis is also being placed on preventative maintenance, including work designed to stop potholes developing rather than repeatedly repairing damaged stretches of road.

Additional national figures released last week showed improvements in local road conditions in the year ending March 2026, with a reduction in the proportion of minor roads requiring maintenance.

The investment has been welcomed by motoring organisations, although they have cautioned that drivers will need to see tangible improvements before the programme can be judged a success.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "This data is encouraging. It's good to see so many miles of road being resurfaced, but it's also positive that the preventative maintenance message has got through as we've long argued that councils need to take steps to stop potholes appearing in the first place, and not just patch them up.

"Surface dressing, if done properly, is a very cost effective way of improving more roads for the long term.

"The proof, of course, will be in whether drivers and other road users notice the difference. Getting the country's roads up to a decent standard, and keeping them there, isn't an overnight job. But at least we're now on the right track."

Dan Joyce, Operations Director at Kwik Fit, said pothole damage continued to cause costly problems for motorists, particularly affecting tyres, wheels and suspension components.

He welcomed the increased investment and the focus on preventative maintenance to reduce both road safety risks and repair costs.