Kimmins outlines new approach to road maintenance
Date published:
A new approach to road maintenance which will focus on a greater use of technology has been outlined by the Infrastructure Minister.
Liz Kimmins was speaking as a draft Road Maintenance Strategy was published for consultation. Minister Kimmins has also welcomed the first digital stock-take of the road network which is already underway.
The draft Road Maintenance Strategy sets out a clear vision for how the Department will manage the road network over the coming years. The strategy focuses on three principles: higher quality maintenance; targeted maintenance and sustainable maintenance.
The road network here consists of over 25,922km of public roads, 9,700 footways, 5,800 bridges and 290,000 streetlights and is an asset worth approximately £36bn.
Speaking at the consultation launch, the Minister said:
“It has become apparent over recent years of the necessity to develop a new approach to how the road network is maintained.
“At the heart of the new strategy is a commitment to raise the standards of maintenance ensuring that interventions are timely and durable.
“We will be targeting our resources where they are needed most and using new technology such as digital surveys to assess road conditions to deliver a sustainable service that meets the future needs of road users.”
Welcoming the roll-out of the first digital road survey to be undertaken across the north, Liz Kimmins said:
“This survey which is an integral part of the new strategy, will give us detailed condition assessments for carriageways and footways to enable our road maintenance teams to identify areas requiring immediate attention and enable future data-driven investment decisions to be made.
“The use of technology will also support our active travel plans and assist us in the production of carbon management plans in support of the Climate Change Act.
“I encourage everyone to share their views on this new approach, so that we invest in our infrastructure assets for the wider benefit of all.”
The consultation opens today and runs until 30 January 2026 and is available at New draft Roads Maintenance Strategy | Department for Infrastructure
Notes to editors:
- Photo caption: Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins is pictured with CEO of Gaist Steve Birdsall as she launches a new Road Maintenance Strategy for consultation. Gaist will be undertaking a digital stock take of the road network to enable future data driven investments to be made in the road network.
- Gaist and Essency have been appointed to take forward the first road network digital survey.
- Gaist is a leader in road condition data collection, using high-definition imagery and AI to produce detailed, georeferenced maps and detailed datasets.
- Essency Consulting specialises in asset and project management, offering extensive experience in optimizing road infrastructure management.
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