A record £18.2 billion is now needed to fix the roads across England and Wales, with an expected timeframe of 12 years, a new study finds.
The latest £18.2 billion figure is an increase of 54% on the £12.06 billion reported a decade ago, with the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey (ALARM) reporting that despite 1.9 million potholes being filled over the last 12 months – over 5,200 a day – councils don’t have the resources to keep up.
Just over half (51%) of the local road network is now reported as being in good structural condition, with the remaining 49% stated to having less than 15 years’ structural life remaining. While almost one in six (16%) of local roads, equivalent to over 32,500 miles, is now seen as having less than five years’ structural life remaining, over 20,000 miles of roads are expected to require maintenance in the coming 12 months.
The average highway maintenance budgets for local authorities across England and Wales increased by 17% over the last year to £30.5 million; however, councils have reported that they would need an extra £8.1 million each year to maintain the road network to their own targets.
This is a total carriageway maintenance budget shortfall of £1.37 billion, an 89% increase on the figure reported in 2017.
While more common vehicle damage caused by potholes – often to tyres, suspension and wheels – are easily identified, potholes also cause more subtle damage to parts such as safety sensors and exhaust systems, which in time can cause longer lasting issues. As such, it is important for UK drivers to keep on top of regular maintenance and overall vehicle checks, especially after hitting a pothole.
In the event of a pothole-related incident, Motor Assist helps keep businesses on the road by coordinating swift remedial repairs through its network of approved suppliers. The service also provides replacement vehicles, manages collection and vehicle return, and where necessary works closely with tyre providers and fitters to ensure every vehicle receives the appropriate care and attention.
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