March of the potholes
Repair work hits five-year low according to latest research
Road maintenance in England dropped by 45% in 2023 compared with five years ago, suggesting the roads are becoming increasingly unsafe for motorcyclists.
According to RAC analysis, just 764 miles of A-roads were strengthened, resurfaced or preserved in 2022/23, a 37% decrease from work carried out in 2017/2018. For minor roads, the numbers were 3380 in the last financial year compared to 6288 miles five years previously.
Just 4% of A-roads maintained by councils in England were resurfaced or given life-extending treatment in the last financial year, with two-thirds of authorities reportedly undertaking no preservation work at all.
The news follows reports that pothole related damage is now at record levels, with a 66% increase in claims in 2023 according to insurer, Zurich Municipal. Reporting similar findings, RAC patrols attended their highest volume of pothole-related breakdowns since 2019.
RAC head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “These figures lay bare just how little work councils have managed. We suspect this means road maintenance in England has reached a new low point”.
Williams continued: “Highways authorities need to take a ‘traffic light’ approach. Roads in ‘green’ and ‘amber’ conditions should undergo preventative maintenance by filling potholes and carrying out the most appropriate surface dressing treatment between April and September. Roads deemed to be in ‘red’ condition need to be fully resurfaced, or strengthened, as no amount of preventative treatment will stop them from falling apart.”