INFRASTRUCTURES * UK - Pothole repair bill 'over £5bn'

The cost of repairing all the potholes in England's roads will be over £5bn

London,EN,UK -Press Association/Politics Home -26 May 2011: ... According to a report by the Audit Commission,  England's local roads are under attack from increasing traffic, severe winters, higher repair costs and dwindling highways funding, a report by a public spending watchdog has said...  The cost of maintaining England's 236,000 miles of local roads is now 50% higher than it was 10 years ago, according to the report from the Audit Commission...  But in the next three years there will be a 26% drop in government revenue funding for local authorities and 16% less capital funding via local transport plans, the commission said...  Also, road traffic is expected to increase by more than 30% by 2025 and damage to the roads by utility company streetworks is costing councils nearly £50 million every year... The report highlighted how councils can get more for their money, including cost-saving collaborations with neighbours, asset management to show when road maintenance will be most effective, new ways of keeping residents informed, and weighing short-term repairs against long-term resilience...    (Photo from l.yimg/media.zenfs.com: Reduced funding could make it even more difficult to maintain local roads)