Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

Effective maintenance

Key outcome

Road condition maintained to a high standard, so that the proportion requiring maintenance in any future year is held at an optimum level (between 7% and 8%)

Our response

The strategic road network is a key national asset with an estimated current replacement cost of around £65bn. Our first priority is to ensure that we retain the value of that investment and maintain it in optimum condition.

The importance of this task is reflected in the additional £150m (including London) that has been spent on maintenance since 1997.

We will continue to make maintenance our priority over the next ten years, with a maintenance programme of around £7bn between 2001-2010.

The present level of investment has ensured that the strategic network is retained in optimum condition, with about 7-8% of the network requiring maintenance in each year. We are currently conducting a research study to determine what percentage of the network will require maintenance each year when Whole Life Cost considerations are applied to maintenance. As a result of this study the optimum percentage may change.

Monitoring the condition of the road pavements is an essential part of planning maintenance work and new technology is widely used to identify carriageway deterioration at an early stage. The new TRACS vehicle (TRAffic-speed Condition Surveys) is capable of travelling at up to 70mph and uses video cameras and laser sensors to detect cracks and measure ruts and bumps on the road surface.

We have developed the use of computer based asset management systems to assist decisions on maintenance priorities. These systems are soon to be replaced by more sophisticated versions. For example, the Highways Agency Pavement Management System (HAPMS) takes advantage of modern computer technology to provide a better assessment of road maintenance needs. This system is gradually replacing its predecssor and will be in full use by 2001. A similar system - the Structures Management Information System (SMIS) - will also be in place by 2001 to ensure our bridges and tunnels are being maintained in optimum condition.

Routine and winter maintenance are vital activities for keeping the network in good working order, ensuring safety and minimising the need for more expensive maintenance at a later stage.

This annual round of activities includes: salting and snow clearance during the winter months; emergency work after incidents; keeping fences, barriers, road markings, signs, traffic signals, road lighting, emergency phones and communications systems in good order; cutting grass and vegetation at junctions and in central reserves to preserve safe visibility; prompt repair of minor carriageway, footway and structural defects; cleaning of drainage systems (without which our roads would not achieve their expected service life); effective management of landscaped areas and habitat sites; and the clearance of litter on motorways.

Computer systems are used to help here, too. The Routine Maintenance Management System (RMMS) is to be further developed over the next three years.

We take great care to ensure that maintenance works are carried out with the minimum impact on our customers. We are looking for ways to increase the proportion of the work that can be done when traffic flows are lighter, generally at weekends and at night. We will increase the use of mobile lane closures to minimise the time taken and disruption caused when we carry out short duration routine maintenance. Better information and signing, including initiatives like "zip merging", can minimise any unavoidable delays and make queuing more efficient and less frustrating. Where there is particular need we will continue to use incentives/penalties to get contractors to reduce the time taken to do the work, and thereby minimise the delays to road users.

Further information

To obtain further information use the links below to visit other sections in the Highways Agency website.

• New Emergency Roadside Telephone
• Quieter Road Surfaces Leaflet (239KB PDF)
• Map - Location of Concrete Roads (760KB PDF)