Report: "One in five local roads has less than five years’ life remaining"

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Report: "One in five local roads has less than five years’ life remaining"

Postby dutchman » Wed Mar 21, 2018 1:13 am

More than 24,000 miles of local roads have been identified as needing essential maintenance within the next year – a distance that would almost stretch the whole way around the world

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According to the newly published Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey for 2018 from the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), one in five of our local roads are now classed as structurally poor – with less than five years’ life remaining – compared with one in six reported last year.

The research also found that English and Welsh local authorities now report a shortfall in roads funding totalling nearly £556m a year – equivalent to £3.3m per authority.

According to the findings, it would now take 14 years to get local roads back into a reasonable steady state, provided adequate funds and resources were available.

Rick Green, chairman of the AIA, said: “Local roads are a vital asset, worth in the region of £400bn, and they support all aspects of our daily work and home lives. But funding for their adequate maintenance has fallen short for so many years that further deterioration is inevitable.

“We accept that there is no magic wand to wave, nor is there a bottomless pot of money to tap into. There are difficult choices to be made at both local and national level but the government needs to provide adequate funding for a well maintained and safe local road network if it wants to support communities and drive economic growth.”

Responding to the findings, both the RAC and the Local Government Association called for funds from existing fuel duty revenue to be reinvested in local roads.

Nicholas Lyes, RAC head of roads policy, said: “If just a fraction of existing fuel duty revenue was ring-fenced specifically for local roads, over just a few years enough could be raised to allow councils to make proper, lasting repairs that are fit for the 21st century. As things stand, all road users are faced with the prospect of road surfaces falling into an even worse state making for increasingly uncomfortable, expensive and, in some cases, downright dangerous journeys.”

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Re: Report: "One in five local roads has less than five years’ life remaining"

Postby rebbonk » Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:44 am

There really is no excuse for this. It is simply mismanagement on a massive scale; by parties of all colours.
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Re: Report: "One in five local roads has less than five years’ life remaining"

Postby Melisandre » Wed Mar 21, 2018 6:48 pm

A few years back Rebbonk a chap came up to me out the blue in Bedworth and said to tell them to use the tarmac they use to use years ago not the new stuff they have been using then walked off he said this was when the roads were melting with the heat and all the pot holes when people were complaing
Why he came to me I dont know but its not the first time I ve been approached like this about other matters from strangers I dont even know.
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Re: Report: "One in five local roads has less than five years’ life remaining"

Postby rebbonk » Wed Mar 21, 2018 7:51 pm

I was in Dubai during one of the warmest heatwaves over recent years. I didn't see the roads melting!

One of the problems we have is that we try to do things on the cheap. Look at the majority of the potholes, they're simply old plugged ones re-opening. Perhaps if the job were done properly, and sealed, with less emphasis on the quantity of holes filled per day, we might have a chance!

Bringing back the clerk of works might also help, as might making those that lay/repair roads responsible for them for the next 10 years.
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Re: Report: "One in five local roads has less than five years’ life remaining"

Postby Melisandre » Thu Mar 22, 2018 1:38 pm

I have noticed its on the cheap recalling when I was a kid to now they repaired a pot hole by me two days after it was just as bad.

Yes we need the clerk back as a few years ago the lady in charge of our roads my son and wife s friend told my son to look out for pot holes on our roads as he is traveling around the city and let her know where they are so she can send the work men out to fix them .
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