UK's pothole problem worsening

The UK’s pothole problem is worsening across its road network.
By MJ Woof February 28, 2020 Read time: 1 min
The UK’s pothole problem looks set to worsen – image © courtesy of Mike Woof

An insurance firm has highlighted the serious pothole problem facing the UK’s road network due to underinvestment. Zurich UK predicts that the number of potholes across the UK network could jump from 580,636 to more than 650,000 by 2030. The firm derived this prediction on research focussing on the UK’s road condition and the limited spending on improvements.

Zurich UK utilised data compiled by economics consultancy Cebr as the basis for its report. There is a lack of spending by the UK Government on road repairs and for the capital, London, this could result in the number of potholes topping 23,000.

According to Zurich UK, a better approach to risk management is required to target problem areas. This is in spite of plans by the UK Government to spend up to €10.23 billion on road improvements by 2030.

Maintenance

Related Content

  • £24 billion spending on UK roads
    June 17, 2025
    The UK Government plans to invest £24 billion on roads.
    Read More
  • UK government pledges pothole pounds
    April 9, 2018
    The UK government will hand out to a number of councils in England extra money for pothole repairs, said Chris Grayling, transport secretary. Around €125 million will be shared out, with the south-west county of Devon getting the lion’s share – nearly €5.2 million. The funding is in addition to €86 million Pothole Action Fund and the almost €7 billion set aside for improving local roads across the entire UK.
    Read More
  • Patch it up with Secmair, Nu-phalt, Jetpatcher
    March 7, 2023
    Old-fashioned repair methods can make a road agency’s pothole problem worse but new technology has come to the rescue.
    Read More
  • Set the ALARM for repairs in England and Wales
    January 10, 2019
    More than 3,900km of roads in England and Wales will need essential maintenance within the next year, according to the annual ALARM survey* Cash-strapped local governments are reporting that the gap between the funds they received and the amount they needed for repairs and maintenance was almost €639 million. This equated to an average shortfall of €3.75 million for every authority. It would take 14 years to get local roads back into a reasonable steady state, but only if adequate funds and resources wer
    Read More

Highlighted Content