English local authorities are to get almost £6bn to repair potholes over the next six years.

Awarded by the government, the fund will help them improve roads between 2015 and 2021. A succession of severe winters and the devastating floods earlier this year have left councils struggling with road maintenance.

The transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, said the money would be enough to fix about 18m potholes.

Of the total package, just over £4.7bn will be shared between 115 English councils, while authorities will be able to bid for a further £575m in total available for the repair and maintenance of local highway infrastructure such as junctions, bridges and streetlighting.

McLoughlin announced that £578m had been set aside for an incentive fund scheme which will start in 2016 to reward councils who demonstrate they are delivering value for money in carrying out cost-effective improvements.

McLoughlin said: “Roads play a significant part in everyday life. Poorly-maintained local roads, blighted by potholes, are a menace to all road users, particularly during the festive period as people travel to see family and friends.

“It is vital we have good quality roads. This government has already taken strong action by spending £1bn more on local roads maintenance than was spent in the previous parliament.”

Meanwhile, drivers will have to contend with disruption from next month due to work starting on improvement schemes on the link road between the southbound M6 at junction 8 and the M5 north of Birmingham and at the M6/A38(M) Gravelly Hill interchange (Spaghetti Junction).

The schemes will involve concrete repairs and associated drainage work and result in lane closures, some full carriageway and sliproad closures and temporary speed limits.

The junction 8 work is due to start on 5 January and be completed by the end of May 2015. The Gravelly Hill work is due to begin on 11 January and be finished by the end of July 2015.

RAC chief engineer David Bizley said funding for potholes was welcome but there were doubts whether this was “new money”.

He said: “We also question whether this really goes far enough. Recent estimates by the Asphalt Industry Alliance suggest a one-off investment of £12bn is needed in England to deal with the backlog in road maintenance, the majority of which is associated with those roads for which local authorities are responsible.

The shadow transport secretary, Michael Dugher, said: “You can’t believe a single word ministers say. Local roads are in a desperate state under David Cameron. Over 2,220 miles more of our local roads now need maintenance work compared to 2010.

“Hard-pressed motorists and businesses are justifiably sick and tired of having their vehicles damaged because of Britain’s pothole crises. This Tory government is all talk. Motorists have had enough of their failure and broken promises.”

The Local Government Association said: “We have long called for greater funding for roads maintenance so these allocations, originally announced in the June 2013 spending review, to improve the network are a positive step. However, there is still a very long way to go to bring the nation’s roads up to scratch.”