Britain's Roads

[ClaretEngineer]

Highlighted on the news this morning that the roads in Britain need major investment to the tune of £12bn.

Stating the obvious really. The roads on my route to work which include most of the road categories (A and B roads, both rural and inner city and motorways) are in really poor shape.

Did I hear it announced in this years budget that tax money raised from vehicle taxation was going to be earmarked for road repairs? Have they really only just thought of this...!

[Sidney1st]

The roads have been shocking for years, but they probably aren't really prepared for the sort of traffic levels and weights that they get.

Town roads aren't really suitable for the number of HGV's that they get on them for example.
Then it's things like drainage won't be helping.

A certain part of a road in Newbury always has a massive puddle after heavy rain, to the point you need to use the other lane for safety.
It's been like that for about 10yrs and nothing has been done about it.

[bfcmik]

VED doesn't raise anywhere near £12billion. However much it is though will be a good start on the backlog of repairs.

Previously all amounts raised went into the general taxation pot and governments could pick and choose whether to invest in infrastructure or not. The concern is that a future Chancellor of The Exchequer will use this as an excuse to significantly increase VED to fund their preferred building programmes - as has happened to the railways since it was decided that passenger fares could rise by inflation+

[KateR]

the whole of Britain's infrastructure needs major work to bring the country up to an acceptable standard, have lived visited many many countries and so many would consider Britain's road and rail system as 2nd World, I certainly do. Good to see the Chinese coming in and managing Southern rail, maybe trains will run on time and you can actually get a seat, wonder how many more foreign nations will be investing in Britain, certainly not the EU

[cricketfieldclarets]

the whole of Britain's infrastructure needs major work to bring the country up to an acceptable standard, have lived visited many many countries and so many would consider Britain's road and rail system as 2nd World, I certainly do. Good to see the Chinese coming in and managing Southern rail, maybe trains will run on time and you can actually get a seat, wonder how many more foreign nations will be investing in Britain, certainly not the EU

Exactly right. We are way behind both rail and roads compared to the majority of Europe - even including many of the old eastern bloc. Its the same for mobile and internet connectivity as well though.

[conyoviejo]

Think about the poor cyclists who have to swerve round these "pot holes"and risk being run over by crazy car drivers ..

[ClaretEngineer]

The next job on the list down here is M1 J25 to J23 ''(un) Smart Motorway Upgrade.'' This includes concrete central reservations.

The only good thing that will come out of this is that the road will get resurfaced. The downsides are innumerable.

Whoever thought that using the hard shoulder was a clever idea? All it takes is for some unfortunate sod to break down and there's a blanket 40 MPH restriction for 20 miles.

We now have the HE the adverts saying we should conveniently break down in the designated ''refuge zones.'' Aye because cars breakdown conveniently...

[cricketfieldclarets]

Think about the poor cyclists who have to swerve round these "pot holes"and risk being run over by crazy car drivers ..

I came off mine on the A59 after hitting a pothole trying to avoid a lorry. I havent been back on the road since as the roads are too poor to be worth the risk.

Sold the roady and just use the mountain bike offroad and on the canals now.

[cricketfieldclarets]

As for smart motorways. Dont get me started.

[conyoviejo]

I came off mine on the A59 after hitting a pothole trying to avoid a lorry. I havent been back on the road since as the roads are too poor to be worth the risk.

Sold the roady and just use the mountain bike offroad and on the canals now.

Same here CC ... I'm the same nowadays,but like to cycle on certain promenades in Kent ( Herne Bay to Broadstairs is a good route) and East Sussex (Hastings to Bexhill on sea ) which all have cycle only tracks ..

[cricketfieldclarets]

Need to start taking mine with me when working away. Tend to get out and about but would be better with the bike. In Kent and Sussex now and again so will bare them in mind!

[aggi]

I cycle through Central London most days, some of the potholes are shocking and have been there for years. Others just appear to get filled with loose tarmac which wash out at the first sign of rain.

Terrible repairs after utilities are definitely an issue, with roads a patchwork of different tarmac from repairs over the years.

HGVs are the main issue in terms of vehicles. The rough rule of thumb is that dame is proportional to the fourth power of the axle weight, so doubling the weight will cause 16 times more damage (2x2x2x2), quadrupling the weight 256 times and so on. As such HGVs cause proportionally millions of times more damage than bikes and tens of thousands more than cars.

[box_of_frogs]

The worst roads I've seen are in Edinburgh. Shocking!

[cricketfieldclarets]

Lorries are a major issue in this country. Not jist for road damage. But traffic jams and accidents. More should be done to put cargo on boat and rail for as much of the journey as possible.

As for lorries doubling up on the a1... bastards!!

[Awayfromburnley]

If they converted the hard shoulder to a tram lane surely that would take more traffic off the road?© Me2017

No lorries on the arterial roads from 730am-9am © Me2017

Honestly the roads are doomed without some form of serious and dramatic changes.

[john'sroseyspecs]

Couldn't we pretend our roads are in India, Ethiopia, etc etc? Just found 12 billion.

[dsr]

Think about the poor cyclists who have to swerve round these "pot holes"and risk being run over by crazy car drivers ..

I could feel sorry for cyclists who are in danger from aggressive motorists. But then I remember that when cyclists ride on the pavement, they are as aggressive and more towards pedestrians as drivers are to cyclists. I dare say that a lot of it is a different set of cyclists, but a badly behaved significant minority will ruin the reputation of all.

[Saxoman]

The insurance and vehicle tax hikes due this year will possibly put me off the road. Scandalous.

[Sidney1st]

Just get yourself another saxo