A report from the RAC Foundation – published on Friday – found that the number of structures spanning over 1.5m that are not fit to carry heavy vehicles has increased by over 200 since last year.

 

The statistics come following a survey of local highway authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. The 3441 substandard bridges identified represent nearly 5% of the 74,000 bridges on the local road network. Budget restrictions mean that only 370 of these structures are expected to have the necessary maintenance work carried out on them within the next five years.

 

“The road maintenance crisis faced by financially beleaguered councils is often reported in terms of potholes to be filled but this research hints at the wide spectrum of things needing attention, including blocked gullies, overgrown verges and, of course, fragile bridges,” said RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding.

 

He added: “The really worrying thing about this data is that the costs and affordability of fixing the problems are moving in opposite directions.”

 

The report highlights that the estimated cost of clearing the bridge maintenance backlog has risen sharply by 30%, while the amount councils are spending on average to maintain their entire bridge stock has fallen from £447M to £367M.

 

Local Government Association transport spokesman Martin Tett said: “This survey underlines the chronic need for more investment in local roads. Councils are doing what they can to ensure our roads and highways infrastructure continue to connect our businesses and communities with each other in the face of increasing budgetary pressures.

 

“However, they need long term investment from central Government, which can address this in the forthcoming final Local Government Finance Settlement.”

 

ADEPT National Bridges Group deputy chairman Graham Cole argued that the increase in the headline number of reported substandard bridges is “probably due to the use of more accurate data”. Councils, he said, continue to effectively manage their bridges, including substandard bridges, in accordance with national guidelines to maintain the safety of the public.

 

“But this increasing number does create a pressure on budgets and an increase in funding would help to reduce this problem and maintain the availability of the highway,” he said.

 

A DfT spokesman said: “We’re investing record amounts to increase capacity and improve journeys on our roads. This includes providing local authorities in England, outside London, with over £6Bn for local highways maintenance in order for them to improve infrastructure, such as bridges. It is a matter for each of these councils to ensure they are maintaining the roads and bridges they are responsible for at an acceptable standard.”