Highland Council set to complete 51 road maintenance jobs out of 643 needed

Highland Council is set to complete just 51 road maintenance jobs out of the 643 needed for Caithness.

The council’s capital works update for roads in the region shows, for the financial year 2025 to 2026, that only 14 of the 643 necessary jobs have been completed so far, with a further 37 being given completion dates for spring 2026.

The report is due to be discussed at the local authority’s Caithness committee meeting on Monday, where members will be asked to note the progress made and approve the works set for later in the year.

Highland Council’s budget for the financial year across Caithness was only £3.1m and with 643 maintenance jobs each costing anywhere between £2,000 and £360,000, it will take years to complete the list.

The jobs are organised by priority, with the Harbour Road junction to Mackay Street junction in Castletown first on the list for completion by the spring.

Next up is sections of Sinclair Terrace and Hospital Road in Wick, with the community council raising concerns earlier this month, calling the roads “an absolute disgrace”.

The report states that maintenance jobs can include surface treatment, drainage improvements, signage and road markings.

A further report has been created for the 2026-2027 financial year, setting out the council’s plan and estimated budget – this will also be discussed at the meeting on Monday.

The estimated budget for the following year is £3.3m, with 491 maintenance jobs needing to be completed.