Olympian Marc Jenkins has joined calls for safer roads in Wales as figures show councils need to spend £36 million a year to fix roads but investment is still falling short.

The Welsh triathlete said damaged roads in Wales are just too dangerous to cycle on.

Jenkins broke his thumb and dislocated his shoulder after hitting a pothole in Bridgend.

Credit: PA Images

I rode through the edge of what appeared to be a puddle and it was hiding a massive pothole which was about a metre long, a metre wide and about 16cm deep and I hit and there was a big bang. I broke my thumb, dislocated my shoulder, cracked my helmet, and I was actually relatively lucky I think. Marc Jenkins, Welsh triathlete

Last year 52,682 potholes were filled in Wales, but the AIA says there needs to be a sustained investment equivalent to an extra £1.5 billion per year for ten years to bring the road network up to scratch.

The Welsh Local Government Association says additional funding will go towards ongoing work to repair the most damaged stretches of road.

In 2017/18 the Welsh Government allocated £30m to local authorities to maintain and prevent the deterioration of the local highway network. A further £60m has been provided by Welsh Government over three years to support a local government public highway refurbishment programme. This investment by has been warmly welcomed by local authorities as it allows an ongoing works, including the resurfacing of the worst stretches of highway, as opposed to short term ‘patch and mend’ repairs. In the face of ongoing financial pressure, local authorities will continue to work constructively with Welsh Government to identify the level of funding needed to maintain the highway asset. WLGA spokesperson

The Welsh Government says it has invested £300 million per year to maintain and improve motorways and trunk roads across Wales.