No quick fix for local roads in the UK
As part of our mission to educate and promote the efficient, economic, effective, safe and sustainable use of refined bitumen we contribute to the work of the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) in the UK, in partnership with the Mineral Products Association (MPA).
Each year, one of the key achievements of AIA is the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey, providing a detailed assessment of the condition of the local road network in England and Wales. The survey plays an important role in keeping road maintenance funding high on the policy agenda.
This year’s ALARM report revealed that the backlog of carriageway repairs in England and Wales has reached a record £18.6 billion (€21 billion). In addition, 49% of the local road network has less than 15 years of structural life remaining.
As AIA Chair David Giles said: “Tracking ALARM data over the last decade shows the amount needed to bring local roads up to scratch has increased dramatically. If we want to make lasting improvements to our local roads, more action is needed, faster. That’s why the increased funding the UK Government has committed to should be front-loaded rather than it ramping it up in the years to 2030.’‘
ALARM 2026 also showed that:
- 1.9 million potholes were filled last year
- Roads are only resurfaced, on average, once every 97 years
- Local authorities in England and Wales spend over half (54%) of their highway maintenance budgets on the surface and structure of the road
- the additional amount local authorities would have needed to maintain the network to their target conditions has continued to rise and is 10% higher than last year.
For more details, the ALARM 2026 report from the Asphalt Industry Alliance can be downloaded here.
