Who is responsible for road and highway repair?
In the UK, our road network is made up of a mixture of motorways, ‘A’ roads and a combination of classified and unclassified roads. As such, it is important to know which agency is responsible for highway repairs.
Under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, highway authorities have a legal duty to maintain their respective sections of the road network and maintain the Strategic Roads Network.
In contrast, local highway authorities are responsible for highway repair within their authority. Not only are they responsible for maintaining roads, but they are also responsible for managing them and, where necessary, improving their designated section of road networks.
Who pays for road and highway repair?
According to industry reports, around 18% of the UK’s local road network is in poor condition. It is estimated that getting roads back into a ‘reasonable’ steady-state would cost around £9.31 billion and take around 14 years to complete.
In regard to funding and who pays for road and highway repair, the Central Government holds the core responsibility for making funding available for local roads maintenance and renewals. The Department for Transport (DfT) is responsible for funding local road renewals and upgrades, while the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government provides revenue support to local highways authorities. Local road maintenance expenditure can also be funded by local governments own revenues.
The Department for Transport
The DfT is responsible for providing local authorities with up-to-date policy, guidance and funding that allows them to keep road networks safe and efficient. It is also responsible for investing in, maintaining and operating around 4,300 miles of motorways and major A roads through Highways England.
Local Authorities
The local authority is responsible for all other roads that are not motorways or major trunk roads (i.e. A roads). This includes the upkeep, repair and improvement of assigned road networks.
Highway Preservation and Road Repairs from BituChem
For over 25 years, BituChem have worked closely with highway maintenance and construction industries across the UK providing highway preservation solutions for highway repair, including our range of asphalt bonding, asphalt and road sealing and pothole repair products.
In supplying our cutting-edge products and materials we have supported the relevant bodies to keep existing surfaces in optimum condition, busy or otherwise.
To find out more about our services, contact us today.
