How much worse are Britain's roads getting? More routes deteriorating into a poor condition as Labour increases funds to fix potholes
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The Government has pledged to spend a record £1.6billion next year fixing potholes across England as part of its latest effort to tackle the biggest scourge on our roads. The 50 per cent hike in funding for resurfacing local roads - enough to fix seven million extra potholes in 2025/26, it has been claimed – was confirmed by the new Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander on Friday.
![[These DfT chart tracks the percentage of roads receiving repair treatment each year. The declining lines are a cause for major concern]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/10/93348457-14213065-These_DfT_chart_tracks_the_percentage_of-m-17_1734690757052.jpg)
Across England, local highways authorities will receive a £500m uplift in funding in an effort to make roads safer, improving journey times and saving drivers money on repairs. But just how bad is the current state of the nation's roads?. The latest report suggests more routes are falling into a state of disrepair - and that's despite an increase in road surfacing this year compared to last.
![[Circa 38.5 million m2 of surface dressing was applied over the surface treatments season in 2024 - the first surface dressing increase in 12 years]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/07/82617189-14213065-The_Chancellor_has_announced_500m_of_funding_to_help_fix_Britain-a-4_1734681414671.jpg)
Will a £1.6billion spend on road repairs be enough to tackle the issue? This is Money analyses the latest data. Paul Barker, editor of Auto Express added that £500m won't 'make much of a dent in the state of the UK's roads'. The pothole backlog repair bill is estimated to stand at a record £16billion, according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance's (AIA) latest figures published in March.
![[An RAC investigation found a variety of different approaches by 206 local councils when it comes to identifying and repairing potholes]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/10/31/09/85200125-14024297-The_investigation_found_a_variety_of_different_approaches_by_206-a-3_1730368464570.jpg)
It is the third year in a row that the estimated cost to patch-up roads in England and Wales has increased. The report also suggests the Government's proposed record spend of £1.6bilion in 2025 is just a tenth of the total required to completely refurbish the nation's routes.
![[In the first nine months of 2024, the AA attended almost half a million pothole-related breakdowns. It is unsurprising to learn that compensation claims for damage to vehicles is doubling year-on-year]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/07/92282905-14213065-Potholes_can_cause_huge_damage_to_cars_but_many_councils_shoot_d-a-2_1734681371515.jpg)
