The government has signed away £674m - the largest Private Finance Initiative (PFI) award ever granted - to improve roads in Sheffield.

The award will allow Sheffield City Council to carry out improvements and maintenance to local roads over the next 25 years.

The work will include planting of trees along the roadside, street cleaning and grounds maintenance, winter maintenance, road surface improvement and maintenance, footway and cycleway maintenance, bridges and other structures, street lighting improvement and maintenance, upgrades to traffic signals, signs, street nameplates and road markings.

Work is scheduled to start in 2011.