Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) 2016 survey

The results of this annual survey suggest the ‘one-time cost’ to get roads in England and Wales back into reasonable condition is now £11.8bn.The Asphalt Industry Alliance’s (AIA) Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey for 2016 estimates that 13% of England’s road network (excluding London) is in poor structural condition, compared to 12% in London and 6% in Wales.

The report also says the length of time it will take to clear the carriageway maintenance backlog is 14 years, a year longer than predicted in the 2015 report.

Each year the AIA commissions the survey of highways departments in all local authorities in England and Wales to build a picture of the general condition of local roads.

It says the 2016 survey paints ‘an unsettling picture’ and indicates that ‘further decline lies ahead for our local roads’.

The survey highlights that in England (excluding London) during 2015/16, the average local authority highway maintenance budget saw a 16% year-on-year decrease – from £23.4m to £19.8m. However, the figures for London and Wales both rose; London up 20% to £9m and Wales up to £7.8m from £7m.

The report also estimates that the total shortfall in annual carriageway maintenance budget is £791m, an average of £4.6m per authority.