Northern Ireland's roads maintenance backlog has hit £1.2bn, on the back of average annual funding shortfalls of £50m, national auditors have estimated.
The Comptroller and Auditor General outlined in a new report how 'decades of funding shortfalls are having a deteriorating effect on the overall condition of Northern Ireland’s road network'.
'Whilst the overall level of funding has improved, it is still less than required to maintain network condition in a satisfactory, steady state. As a result, the [Department for Infrastructure's] estimated amount of investment required to clear the overall structural maintenance backlog has increased from £168 million (at today’s value) in 1998, to £1.2 billion,' the report found.
Data indicates 'a marginal overall improvement in the condition of the trunk road network' which has been prioritised over local roads however 'the growing backlog of maintenance indicates that the overall condition is deteriorating'.
Key facts
- 25,714 km the total route length of the road network
- 78% the percentage of rural roads
- 22% the percentage of urban roads
- £1.2bn the current estimated amount of expenditure required to clear the backlog of structural maintenance
- £143m the annual funding required to maintain the road network in a steady and sustainable state
- £92m the average annual funding spent on structural maintenance allocated over the past five years
- £51m the average additional funding required each year to maintain the road network in a steady and sustainable state
Kieran Donnelly’s report - Structural Maintenance of the Road Network - also highlights issues around the efficient allocation of cash to Northern Ireland's Department for Infrastructure, which is responsible for maintaining all public roads and footways,
The Department 'relies heavily on late in year funding for structural maintenance, reducing its ability to plan this work properly and carry more of it out in periods of better weather', the report found, adding that the resulting uncertainty over workloads impacts negatively on private contractors.
Mr Donnelly called for a similar funding strategy to Highways England, which has a five-year ringfenced funding settlement.
'It is clear from this report that short term, inadequate funding of road maintenance expenditure is causing the serious deterioration of a key public asset. The securing of a long term funding option needs to be a priority,' he said.
'One of the surprising findings within the report is the absence of a roads maintenance strategy to demonstrate long-term development and maintenance requirements of the network.
'I am also recommending some reconsideration of the way maintenance funding is allocated. While major roads such as motorways are in better condition than previously thought, minor roads, including much of the rural network, continue to deteriorate.'
The report also argues there is 'limited transparency of the road network’s current physical condition and formal targets are restricted to the trunk road network'.
In fact data and transparency were major issues highlighted by the document, which states: 'Since 2012, when the responsibility for the network transferred from a government agency to a Department, there has been very little published information on the physical condition of the network.
'In the absence of official condition information, public perceptions, based on media reports, public commentary and personal experiences, often reflect a network that is in poor condition.'
Key recommendations
Recommendation 1
The Department needs to work with the Department of Finance to secure long-term funding options, such as ring-fenced funding, to increase budget certainty and promote better value for money.
Recommendation 2
The Department should develop a strategy to communicate, consult and engage with all stakeholders regarding the condition of the road network. This should be developed with inputs from local government councils and partners in other public bodies.
Recommendation 3
The Department should publish a strategy for maintaining the road network to a satisfactory state. The strategy could form part of a wider roads investment strategy, which takes account of the needs of the existing network when considering the affordability of large-scale road infrastructure and other transport investments.
Recommendation 4
The Department should publish information regarding the condition of the road network on a regular basis. This should include meaningful performance indicators and standards, providing all elected representatives and road users with valuable information to support independent monitoring and inform decision-making.
Recommendation 5
In light of the latest condition data for the trunk road network, which indicates that it is in better condition than previously thought, the Department should reconsider how funding is allocated for structural maintenance to ensure fair coverage for all sections of the network including rural roads.
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