UK Road Repair Backlog Hits Record £16.8 Billion

Local roads are resurfaced only once every 93 years on average as councils struggle with funding gaps and inflationary pressures.

The UK faces a £16.8 billion backlog in road repairs, with one in six miles of road at risk of significant deterioration within five years.
Labour's pledge to fix an additional one million potholes annually is unlikely to be met, according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance's latest report.
Local authorities report no significant improvement in road quality despite £20 billion spent on maintenance over the past decade.
The government has increased road maintenance funding to £1.6 billion for 2025-26, aiming to fix seven million potholes, but experts question the sufficiency of this investment.
Road resurfacing cycles average 93 years across England and Wales, with London roads resurfaced only once per century, exacerbating public frustration.