Tarmac lifeline
HS2 cash redirected into sorting defects – as one area trials new robot roadmender
Britain’s roads are set to receive an injection of cash as the Government commits £8.3 billion to improving local transport networks.
The project is made possible by a reallocation of funding recovered from HS2 and this payment represents the first tranche of several planned instalments.
Since announcing the preliminary plans last November, the Government have delivered £150 million. Plans for the full budget have now been firmed up, with a fresh news release from the Department for Transport revealing that 102 out of the 119 authorities allocated funding have now responded with plans outlining the work they intend to carry out.
“Alongside this unprecedented funding, which is already being used to improve local roads, we’re making sure people can hold their local authority to account and see for themselves how the investment will be spent to improve local roads for years to come,” said Transport Secretary, Mark Harper.
The West and East Midlands were among the regions pledging the largest volume of repairs, forecasting 600,000 and 350,000 square metres respectively.
Held to account
To equip residents with the means to scrutinise exactly which roads are set to undergo improvements, councils are required to produce a publicly visible two-year plan outlining the repairs they intend to make, followed by quarterly updates of the work they have successfully carried out.
The news was described as “very encouraging” by RAC Head of Policy, Simon Williams, who added: “Drivers will be pleased to see potholes fixed and roads resurfaced, especially as our research shows the poor state of local carriageways is their numberone concern.”
The Government claim that eventually, all £29.4 billion saved from the northern and Midlands leg of HS2 will be reinvested in transport across the respective regions, while the £6.5 billion saved through the new HS2 approach at Euston will be spread across every region of the country.
Rick Green, Chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, commented: “We have supported the need for transparency of funding allocations and the requirement for local authorities to report on the local roads to benefit will hopefully ensure the money is not diverted.
“But, as the Government itself says, this additional funding is only enough to resurface 5000 miles of local roads over 11 years,” Green continued. “This sounds like a lot, but it is just 2.7% of the network in England and London, where the funding is being made available.
“Our 2024 ALARM survey report highlights that there are already 31,000 miles of local roads reported to have less than five years’ life remaining.
“It is clear that the additional money, while welcome, is not going to be enough to halt the ongoing decline in conditions.
“We need to get to the point where local authority highway engineers can plan and proactively carry out repairs and preventative works in the most timely and efficient way to the greatest benefit of all road users.”
Robots in disguise
The days of potholes being filled manually could be at an end following a trial by Hertfordshire County Council which saw an artificial intelligence-powered robot vehicle taking care of duties.
Not unlike a fancy automatic vacuum cleaner, the robot, named Autonomous Road Repair System (ARRES), is able to operate on roads throughout the county, scanning the tarmac condition and spotting defects before they’re able to form fully fledged potholes. ARRES is then able to automatically fill them in before continuing its journey.