Britain facing £10.5 billion bill to restore roads to reasonable condition

Date: 14/3/2013

Britain is facing a potential £10.5 billion bill to repair roads damaged by the severe weather conditions, the (AIA) Asphalt Industry Alliance has revealed.

According to the organisation, the cost of filling potholes and resolving problems caused by extreme rainfall has resulted in local authorities in England facing an annual budgetary shortfall of £829 million.

In London alone, more than £6 million was spent on filling potholes last year, while £6.3 million worth of compensation was paid to the capital’s motorists.

AIA Chairman Alan Mackenzie said that a more strategic, long-term approach has to be taken to provide suitable road conditions, warning that the current tactic of repeatedly carrying out repairs on crumbling tarmac is unsustainable.

“Constantly having to patch up crumbling roads rather than using highway engineers’ skills properly, to ensure good road condition in a planned and cost effective way, is nonsensical and costly to the country,” he explained.

Posted by Sarah Bailey

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