Roads - maintenance
As a highway authority we have a duty to manage and coordinate all works programmes that affect the highway. For example our own work, the work of utility companies (water, electricity, gas, telecommunications), property developers and private citizens.
What does 'highway' mean?'Highway' is the term which is used in legislation, it includes: - Carriageway (roads)
- Footways (pavements)
- Cycleways (cycle lanes and paths)
Highway maintenance budgetWe currently spend £55 million on road maintenance each year. This sounds like a lot of money, but when it is distributed throughout the network and with all the different types of work we do, the budget is always stretched so we cannot always do all the work you would wish. Types of highway maintenance We undertake maintenance work to ensure that the highway provides for the safe and effective movement of people and goods. There are numerous types of maintenance works detailed below: Type of maintenance | Description | Examples | Reactive maintenance | Responding to inspections, complaints or emergencies that identify defects on the highway that could cause a safety hazard or require minor repair. | Signing and making defects safe, providing initial temporary repairs, provide permanent repairs. | Programmed maintenance | An annual programme of work (schemes) based on information recorded by the inspections and network surveys. | Resurfacing, strengthening or reconstruction of carriageways, and cycle lanes and routes. | Routine maintenance | Highway works which require a regular consistent maintenance schedule but are not urgent on the grounds of safety (reactive) and do not form part of programmed maintenance. | Patching and repainting faded road markings, landscape maintenance, cleansing and repair of drainage, lighting, bridges etc. | Regulatory maintenance | Inspecting and regulating the activities of others. | Co-ordination of road and street works, charging schemes and permits for highway occupation e.g. skips, scaffolding, hoardings, street cafés etc. | Winter maintenance | Keeping the County moving during periods of extreme winter weather by keeping routes treated and passable. | , gritting. | Weather and other emergencies | Responding to weather related events which affect highway safety including flooding, high winds, high temperatures and other emergencies. | Removal of trees in the highway, flood management. |
Managing highway conditionWe also manage the condition of the highway including potholes, defects, obstructions, deposits and spillages. We carry out routine inspections and surveys and carry out surfacing works where required. More information about how we manage these highway conditions is available under "related pages" below.
Road maintenance - frequently asked questions
|
