“The link between infrastructure investment and economic growth is well established but long term underfunding means that the local road network continues to deteriorate at a faster rate than it can be repaired.
“Ten years ago, our ALARM survey warned against putting off the investment needed today until tomorrow. Local authority highways engineers told us then that it would take 10.9 years to get their roads back into a reasonable condition. This year, they told us the backlog was 14 years. “The age of the network and the increased volume and weight of vehicles – not to mention the effect of wetter winters – threatens the resilience our roads. Unless action is taken, we face the real prospect of a local road network that is not fit for purpose.”
Notes to editors
The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) is a partnership between the Mineral Products Association and Eurobitume UK. It draws on the knowledge and experience of both organisations to increase awareness of the asphalt industry and to promote the uses and benefits of asphalt. The AIA produces the ALARM survey to provide a detailed picture of the condition of the local road network and enable insightful analysis of road maintenance and funding issues. This year’s ALARM survey reported that Local Authority highways departments estimated that the time required, given adequate funding and resources, to bring the network up to scratch would be 14 years. In ALARM 2006 the figure reported was 10.9 years. ALARM 2016 reported that the estimated one-time catch up cost is £11.8 billion.
Representatives from local authorities’ highways teams across England and Wales joined industry specialists at this year’s Sharing Best Practice event, held at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham.
Chaired by Peter Plisner, Transport Correspondent for BBC Midlands Today, the day included a series of presentations as well as a Fit for the Future poster session developed in conjunction with LG TAG.
Feedback received from the 90+ delegates has been extremely positive with over 94 per cent finding the event useful or very useful.
Please see below to view and download the speakers’ PowerPoint presentations:
- Amanda Richards, Group Manager, Network and Asset Management, Surrey County Council: ‘Surrey’s long term plans for the maintenance of key highway assets’
- Andrew Bainbridge, Team Leader Transport Planning, North Yorkshire County Council: ‘Highway maintenance and the Local Growth Fund’
- Tom Bartley, BIM Research Engineer, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff and Ian Price, Project Manager – Major Projects, Hanson Contracting: ‘The benefits of BIM: the A338 Bournemouth Spur Road’
- Matthew Lugg, HMEP Advocate: ‘Making HMEP fit for the future’
- Paul Hardy, Lead Consultant, CSS Wales: ‘An alternative approach: implementing highway asset management in Wales’
- Nick Tupper, Head of Highways, Norfolk County Council: ‘BS11000 supply chain collaboration’
- Keith Carpenter, Highways Asset Manager, Transport for Buckinghamshire: ‘Effective communications and engaging with stakeholders: the Buckinghamshire journey’
- Andrew Molyneux, Highway Asset Manager, Leeds City Council: ‘Embedding collaborative highway infrastructure asset management across the West Yorkshire region’
FIT FOR THE FUTURE POSTER SESSION in association with LG TAG can be accessed below:
- Trevor Collett, Asset Data Manager, Kier: ‘What is the real state of our roads?’
- Satbir Gill, Network Manager, Hounslow Highways: ‘Signing the way in Hounslow’
- Martin Holland, Head of Highways and Energy, London Borough of Islington: ‘The Digital Highway’
- Teresa Jolley, Director, DEFT153 Ltd; Future Highways Programme Lead, Landor LINKS; Secretariat, Future Highways Forum: ‘Future Highways and HighwaysAPI’
- Dominic Proud, Service Delivery Manager, Telford & Wrekin Council: ‘Highways branding and communication’
Please attribute quotes to Alan Mackenzie, Chairman, Asphalt Industry Alliance
The government’s announcement of a £50 million Pothole Action Fund for England in 2016/17 might seem like good news but is, in fact, another clear sign that the battle to rescue our crumbling local roads network is being lost.
It does nothing to address the cumulative effect of decades of underfunding and perpetuates the downward spiral of the ‘patch and mend’ approach.
The most efficient way to deal with the problem of our failing roads is to fix them properly and stop potholes forming in the first place.
Poorly maintained roads simply cannot withstand the combination of severe weather and increased traffic, which is why potholes form, and which will, in time, undermine the entire structure of the road.
Our research has shown that an invest-to-save approach pays dividends with every planned investment providing long-term savings of more than twice the amount spent. Throwing money into potholes is complete madness.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Samantha Stagg or Madeleine Hardman, AIA press and information office:
+44 (0)207 222 0136
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