Three per cent of Norfolk A roads 'need repair', study claims

All drivers hate bumpy roads and potholes, and now government statistics reveal how much of Norfolk’s road network which may need repairs.

But it may surprise you that just three per cent of Norfolk’s council-run A roads were judged to be in need of maintenance during the year to March 2018.

That works out at just 14 out of 466 miles of road in all.

The examinations, done by scanner machines and human inspection, identify sections of road worn by use or affected by ruts, bumps or potholes. It’s not clear from the figures how badly damaged the roads are.

The Department for Transport data also shows that eight per cent of the B and C roads were in need of work. Unclassified roads, small lanes used for local traffic, also required repairs, with 15 per cent in need of maintenance.

In total, there are 5,653 miles of minor roads in Norfolk.

The areas in the East of England with the worst A roads are Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

The figures also show that road conditions are worse than they were five years ago, when two per cent of Norfolk’s A roads were likely to be in need of repairs.

The condition of unclassified roads has improved, as from April 2012 to March 2013 22 per cent of minor roads required repairs.

These statistics only refer to Norfolk’s local authority run roads. The majority of roads in the area are the responsibility of the council while Highways England is in charge of the maintenance for motorways and some major A roads.

The highway inspections use a classification called the Road Condition Indicator. This categorises a road as green, amber or red, based on ruts and bumps.

If a part of a route is branded red it should be checked more regularly as it is likely to require maintenance.

Across Britain, 717 miles of council-run A roads were deemed to need maintenance.

RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: “These figures will come as little surprise to both drivers and those on two wheels who continue to have to put up with using sub-standard roads.

“We believe Britain’s pothole problem has been caused by years of under investment, especially when it comes to local roads – with councils having to make some tough decisions about where to prioritise spending.

“It’s a sad reality that investment hasn’t been sufficient to guarantee the quality of these roads.”