A NEW report about the challenges facing the UK’s deteriorating road network – as the repair bill reaches a record £18.62 billion – highlights the crucial role of ‘built to last’ highway ironwork.
Civil engineering solutions manufacturer Wrekin Products has produced the whitepaper taking a detailed look at the issues putting our local roads under strain, from financial pressures and changing environmental conditions to evolving vehicle demands.
It points out that the tendency to use short-term fixes for failing roads also leaves ironwork such as manhole covers and gully gratings more exposed than ever and prone to lasting damage.
Drawing on interviews with representatives from road organisations and local authorities across the country, and Wrekin’s own industry survey, The Evolving Needs of UK Roads also considers solutions to avoid the treadmill of disruption and repairs within limited resources.
It follows the publication of the Asphalt Industry Alliance’s 2026 ALARM survey, which revealed that the UK’s backlog of carriageway repairs would take 12 years to clear, even with the government’s investment injection over the last year. One in six local roads are reported to have less than five years’ structural life remaining.
Paul Thompson, technical specification and sustainability manager at Wrekin, said: “The UK’s road network is under enormous pressure from rising traffic volumes, extreme weather and tightening budgets.
“Too often, the response to road maintenance and repairs consists of short-term fixes rather than lasting solutions – and highway ironwork increasingly feels the strain as a result.
“We wanted our whitepaper to get to the heart of what is causing these issues and the action that could be taken. One way is for local authorities and utility companies to use robust, quality ironwork that is built to last.
“Fitted with the best installation methods, this ironwork could help build better resilience in our roads, extending service life, improving safety and cutting the embodied carbon impact of premature failures and repeat interventions.”
Launching the annual ALARM survey, AIA chair David Giles said the condition of local roads has become a ‘national disgrace’ and warned road users not to expect a ‘quick fix’, noting that years of underinvestment and extreme weather had left the network fragile.
In Wrekin’s own survey, 52% of respondents said they do not believe the UK’s current infrastructure is prepared for shifting traffic trends, while 96% said design and maintenance standards are not keeping pace with increased rainfall and hotter summers.
Contributing to Wrekin’s whitepaper, Mike Hansford, chief executive of the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA), said short-term reactive road ‘fixes’ were a false economy.
Mike said: “If authorities were more proactive with planned permanent repairs, it would naturally be more cost-effective and carbon efficient.
“The industry’s significant move away from the good practice of preventative road maintenance, which extends road life and prevents potholes, has also been detrimental to the condition of the UK road network.”
Steve Carmody, who is on the board of trustees at the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transport (CIHT), which has 12,000 members, told the whitepaper: “Better training and more skilled installation of ironwork would be highly beneficial. Even the best products will fail to perform as they are meant to if they are poorly installed. The long-term benefits could outweigh the investment in improving training and installation standards.”
The Evolving Needs of UK Roads addresses the financial pressures, changing environmental conditions and evolving vehicle demands shaping the industry – with a particular focus on ensuring the UK’s highway ironwork is fit for the future. Download The Evolving Needs of UK Roads at www.wrekinproducts.com/services/whitepapers/evolving-needs-uk-roads. To learn more about Wrekin, visit www.wrekinproducts.com.
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