UK local roads repair backlog tops £12 billion

Europe |

Compounded by increased costs caused by rising inflation, the backlog of carriageway repairs to fix local roads in England and Wales has reached £12.64 billion, reports this year’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey.

Published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), a partnership between Eurobitume UK and the Mineral Products Association, this year’s report highlights the scale of the worsening issue faced by highway engineers, who have to make difficult choices between keeping local roads open and safe versus improving overall road conditions.

The 27th ALARM survey reveals that despite an increase in average highway maintenance budgets (up 4% on 2020/21), the proportion invested in the carriageway itself is down and the reported backlog of carriageway repairs has increased by almost a quarter (23%) on last year’s figure to £12.64 billion – or £61,700 for every mile of local road in England and Wales.

AIA Chair Rick Green said: “Local authority highway teams have a legal responsibility to keep our roads safe, but do not have the funds to do so in a cost effective, proactive way. As a result, while they report some slight improvements in surface conditions, the structure of our roads continues to decline.”

The AIA’s ALARM 2022 report can be downloaded here.

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