The President of the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) says more focus must be put on long-term preventative measures to stop potholes forming on local roads.  

Speaking on National Pothole Day, which is taking place today (Friday (15 January), Will Britain said: “The Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey carried out by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) regularly states that it would cost billions of pounds and take many years to fix the current backlog of pothole repairs.  

“Unfortunately for local authorities, most funding is spent on the strategic road network which makes up just three per cent of the total road network. This is despite local roads carrying two-thirds of all traffic. In the initial stages of the pandemic some local authorities may not have been able to keep up their planned maintenance programmes, due to staffing issues, and local roads would have further suffered as a result.  

“During the lockdowns, the Government has obviously encouraged people to stay at home and avoid using public transport. At times, this has put extra pressure on local roads as more people take to their cars to do the limited things they can do. At LCRIG we would like to see Government recognise the need for proper levels of predicted, long-term maintenance funding so that preventative measures can be put in place.  

“All local highway authorities should sign up to best practice asset management to ensure that they have the most cost-effective maintenance approach. National Pothole Day will undoubtedly focus attention on the state of local roads, but it is worth remembering that LCRIG and others are working hard to ensure they are maintained to a standard that people expect and deserve.”