The backlog for repairing potholes across England and Wales has reached a record £18.6bn, according to an annual industry estimate published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA). Despite councils filling about 1.9m holes last year, the condition of local roads is described as a 'national disgrace,' with only half of the network reported to be in good condition.
Key Takeaways
The backlog for repairing potholes across England and Wales has reached a record £18.6bn despite councils filling about 1.9m holes last year. The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) report highlights that only half of the road network is in good condition, exacerbated by adverse weather conditions.
The report suggests that new potholes are forming faster than they can be repaired, despite an additional £500m allocated by the government last year. The estimated cost of repairing all potholes has risen by £1.8bn since 2023, highlighting a significant increase in maintenance needs.
The AIA report indicates that roads are being resurfaced on average once every 97 years, with nearly one in six local roads having less than five years of structural integrity remaining. The chairman of the AIA, David Giles, emphasized the dramatic underspending on road maintenance, which has led to a fragile network increasingly affected by adverse weather events.
The AA president, Edmund King, warned that record wet weather and substandard roads have turned many local roads into 'patchwork obstacle courses.' The RAC's Simon Williams noted that roads are in a 'woeful state of disrepair,' with hundreds of breakdown reports daily mentioning potholes. IAM RoadSmart’s Nicholas Lyes stressed the need for long-term investment in proper surface maintenance rather than temporary repairs.
The Department for Transport acknowledged the report's findings and highlighted a record £7.3bn in long-term funding to help councils resurface roads. They noted progress with 15% more pothole-prevention works carried out in 2024 compared to 2023, along with a new ratings system monitoring how money is spent.
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