In the wake of the 30 June deadline for local authority progress reports on the filling of potholes having passed, Phil Sabin, Technical Director at sustainable building solutions company Holcim UK, explores how long-term thinking is vital to improving UK roads.

The Government has laid down the gauntlet for road maintenance and repairs. Local authorities were told that, by 30 June, they must have submitted their annual progress reports on pothole repairs and road surface maintenance to get a share of the £1.6bn that has been committed by the Government for road repairs.

This funding and a further £4.8bn set aside for motorways and A-roads repair were recently joined by a further £2.3bn in the form of the Local Transport Grant (LTG), all promising financial commitments to support road maintenance. However, there is still a gap to reach the predicted £17bn repair bill that the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey states.

As public scrutiny on potholes and road condition continues to grow, it will be even more imperative that local government works with the industry to ensure repairs and maintenance are successful and long lasting. But what can we be doing to make a success of it?

A change in approach

Getting road repair and maintenance right requires a change in approach. We need to abandon the current papering-over-the-cracks approach to road maintenance and repair if we are to deliver futureproof, sustainable roads over the long-term.

Annual maintenance cycles and patching up roads with subpar surfacing materials may solve short term issues, but they are not standing the test of time. Short term strategies garner short term results, so longevity relies on a change in tack towards preventative maintenance strategies over a minimum of five-year cycles.

This long-term approach allows for looking at the full picture. We can prioritise more durable and sustainable surfacing that is installed correctly to improve the quality of the road surface over many more years. Not only does this mean using more sustainable materials that reduce environmental impact but can also mean making cost efficiencies in the long term through eliminating need for remedial repairs down the line.

Collaboration is key

We understand there is a very challenging, long and expensive journey ahead in the UK to remedy the standard of roads. However, it is crucial that we the industry, as well as local and central government, collaborate to deliver safe and sustainable roads and highways now and for generations to come.

The industry is poised to support local government in matching the Government’s road maintenance and repair ambition. We just need to work together in a different way to make sustainable, futureproof roads a reality for the UK.

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