It would cost £18.62 billion and take 12 years to repair all the local-authority controlled tarmac in England and Wales, according to a report published today by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA).
Each year, the AIA commissions an independent survey of local authority highway departments in England and Wales to “take a snapshot of the general conditions of the local road network”.
This year, the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) report found a total of 1.9 million potholes were filled in 2025 – more than 5,200 every day – at a total cost of £149.3m.
But local authorities say they do not have the budget to maintain their networks, despite a 17 per cent increase in the average annual highway maintenance budget.
- Read more: Ending the UK’s pothole plague "will save lives" but government funding boost is only the start
“National disgrace”
David Giles, chair of the AIA, says in his introduction to the report that the condition of local roads in the two countries “has become a national disgrace”.
“Tracking ALARM data over the last decade shows that the amount needed to bring the carriageway up to scratch has increased dramatically, not helped by the inconsistent funding levels that local authorities have reported over this period."
“Meanwhile, our ageing network has become more fragile and vital resurfacing takes place less frequently – now reportedly only once every 97 years on average,” adds Giles.
The report says that just over half of the local road network is now reported to be in good structural condition, while 49 per cent of the network is said to have less than 15 years’ structural life remaining.
AIA says its estimate of £18.62 billion to fix the backlog of local road repairs has increased by more than 54 per cent from the £12.06 billion reported in 2016.
The report found there is a £1.37 billion shortfall in the total carriageway maintenance budget, which is roughly £8.1 million per local authority.
The government has allocated £1.6 billion to local highway maintenance for this financial year, and has pledged to allocate £7.3 billion over the next four years.
Alongside additional allocations from local authorities’ own sources, this financial commitment has led to an increase in the average highway maintenance budgets in England and Wales.
But this has “only resulted in marginal improvements in condition”, with highway engineers telling the AIA that it is not a “silver bullet that will clear the backlog of repairs any time soon”.
The risk to cyclists
The condition of roads in England and Wales can pose particular risks to cyclists. In February, the cycling insurance specialist Cycleplan revealed that the damage to bikes caused by potholes leads to costs that are 50 per cent higher than the average claim.
After analysing a decade of internal claims, Cyclepan found pothole-related incidents – such as buckled wheels and twisted bicycle frames – result in an average repair cost of £1,017.74.
“Many cyclists reported being forced to ride over potholes after vehicles passed too closely or at speed, leaving them little room to manoeuvre safely,” Cycleplan said.
“Another concern highlighted by the data is delayed awareness of damage. Riders often did not realise their bike had been compromised until days later, sometimes continuing to ride with hidden faults that could pose safety risks,” it added.
Alan Thomas, CEO of Cycleplan, said: “Potholes remain a major frustration for everyone on the road, but cyclists can face far greater consequences.
“Beyond repair costs, there is a genuine risk of serious injury when a rider hits a pothole – particularly during colder months when freeze-thaw cycles worsen road surfaces.”
