Size matters
Did you know that to be defined as a pothole, a dent in the road surface needs to be at least 40mm deep? No? Well you’re not alone. According to the interim report of the DfT’s independent pothole review there is a worrying lack of consistency amongst local authorities as to 1) what constitutes a pothole and 2) how the problem should be addressed. This second issue is made worse by the lack of a reliable appraisal system to help councils determine which course of action is best.
The report says there is a tendency to fix those roads in the worst condition first. This is understandable but not necessarily the best way of halting the ongoing physical decline of our highways.
There is a case for saying that tackling a problem early on – and also carrying out preventative maintenance – is the best way forward as it not only protects the physical and financial health of road users but costs councils (and hence taxpayers) less in the long-term. Yet with an existing backlog of work running to over £10 billion it is hard to see how the cycle of neglect can be adequately broken.
The authors of the report remind councils of their legal responsibility to make roads safe, but at the same time warns that the budgets needed to achieve this will at best be frozen (in reality we know they are to be cut). Even with the endeavours of local authorities to make efficiencies it is unlikely road conditions will improve significantly if there are not the funds to clear the current huge backlog of work.
Many of our local roads are fragile having evolved over many decades, accumulating a variety of surfaces along the way, rather than being constructed using the latest materials and design standards, and thus resilient to increasing amounts of severe weather.
Even if we have a relatively dry and warm winter that does mean things will improve greatly on the roads, only that they might not get significantly worse. At least not for a while.
