Bridges expert calls for national inventory

14 March 2007

A bridges expert has called for a national inventory system to help deal with an estimated £2.8bn highways maintenance backlog faced by UK local authorities.
Highways authorities would need yearly structures funding of £320M to maintain and replace bridges on a steady state basis, County Surveyors’ Society Bridges Group vice chairman, Greg Perks, told delegates at this week's Surveyor Bridges conference in Nottingham.
The CSS recently conducted a survey to obtain information from local authorities for planning, funding and programming at a national level. It asked questions about the numbers and size of its structures, replacement values, funding capacity and the backlog.
Of the 116 local highways authorities in the UK, excluding London, that were contacted, 45 responded - 13 completed the survey in full, while 32 only partially completed it.
The results found that the total asset value of bridges and other structures was £32bn, and 26% of all road bridges were deficient. Based on the CSSBG funding report, the recommended annual spend on maintenance and replacement was £320M per year – 1% of the total asset value.
However, even if local authorities received £320M each year, they would be unable to spend the amount, Perks said.
‘There's a significant amount of work, and a significant cost, and it will take some time to address – depending on the size, value and the extent of the backlog, and the authorities’ capacity to deliver the schemes.’
Perks stressed that the figures were only a 'projection based on limited information', as not all authorities responded to the survey – but this highlighted the need for a national inventory.
'An inventory is fundamental. It is the basis for all the work that we do. It's vital for funding and reporting,' he said.

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