‘£108m needed’ to restore NI’s network

22 October 2009

Northern Ireland’s roads minister, Conor Murphy, has welcomed an independent report on structural maintenance of roads which found current funding levels were causing their condition to decline, and that the annual budget needed increasing to tackle a maintenance backlog.

The report, by Professor Martin Snaith, confirms the structural condition of all Northern Ireland roads, apart from unclassified, is declining, and reactive patching is increasing. He also examined the operations of the Roads Service and found it is responding well to the challenge of a sub-optimal budget.

Prof Snaith supported its chief executive’s concerns about an inadequate maintenance budget, and recommended an increase in the structural maintenance budget to £108m, giving a per-carriageway-km expenditure of around £4,300.

‘This would, I believe, halt the year-on-year increase in the length of roads of the country which are currently deemed not fit for purpose, known as the “backlog”,’ says the report. ‘It would also be helpful for the economy at large if a time period and hence, further annual budget, could be provided to reduce this backlog of maintenance of around £700m.’

The minister agreed the report demonstrated the need for significantly-enhanced investment, and that the condition of the roads is essential to the economy.

‘It is important the executive is aware of all funding challenges when deciding what its priorities should be,’ said Mr Murphy. The report was also discussed by the assembly’s committee for regional development, which heard a briefing by Prof Snaith. It welcomed the report and reiterated a call for more funds.

‘Members were particularly concerned that the £700m backlog of structural maintenance would be addressed,’ said deputy chair, Michelle McIlveen. ‘This backlog in particular represents poor value for money.’

Prof Snaith noted that annual spending per kilometre of road on structural maintenance is currently £13,000 in England, £7,600 in Wales and £4,500 in the Republic of Ireland.

Northern Ireland needs to raise its figure to a recommended £4,300, in order to just sustain current standards.

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