“The symptom of an underfunded network” – AIA Chair responds to Transport Secretary’s pothole incident

David Giles, Chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), has responded to yesterday’s news that Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander’s car had to be towed after hitting a pothole. “Heidi Alexander’s experience is unfortunately one that is shared by many and highlights, yet again, the woeful condition of our local roads. Thankfully it was only the […]
Connecting communities: Government opens structure repair fund

The Government is backing councils across England to fix crumbling bridges, failing flyovers and deteriorating tunnels as the new Structures Fund opens. Decades of neglected infrastructure have led to weight-restricted crossings adding miles to everyday journeys and deteriorating flyovers, leaving communities unsure when the next closure will come. The new fund will put money directly […]
National Highways invests £13m in South West safety

National Highways is set to improve safety across the South West of England with £13m of investment into several schemes, starting with the A36 in Wiltshire and the A30 at Junction 29 of the M5 in Exeter. Targeted safety enhancements on the A36 at Codford St Peter, which has seen a number of serious collisions, […]
ADEPT: Structures Fund is an important and welcome step

ADEPT (Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport) has welcomed the opening of the government’s new Structures Fund. James Bailey, ADEPT Chair, said: “We welcome the opening of the government’s new Structures Fund – ADEPT’s National Bridges Group has worked closely with DfT since the fund was first announced to help shape something […]
Staffordshire County Council agrees highways management plan

Staffordshire County Council has agreed how it will manage traffic and co-ordinates utility and road works across the county over the coming year, to keep Staffordshire moving and reduce disruption. The Traffic and Network Management Plan explains how the council will work to manage more than 4,000 miles of highway and keep traffic flowing. This […]
Safe, but not yet resilient: EU transport systems lag in climate readiness and preventive maintenance, says STA survey

The Smart Transportation Alliance, the Brussels-based not-for-profit collaborative transport infrastructure innovation platform, has launched the STA Expert Perception Tracker, a recurrent, short-format survey designed to capture expert sentiment and qualitative insights on key transport topics. The 1/2026 survey was held from 16 March 2026 to 31 March 2026, gathering over 177 responses from transport professionals […]
Associated Asphalt marks one year of strong growth at East Peckham plant

Associated Asphalt Contracting Ltd is continuing in its rapid growth trajectory, recently marking the first anniversary of the opening of its Tonbridge asphalt plant, a facility that has quickly established itself as a leading local supply hub. Strategically located in East Peckham, Kent, the state-of-the-art facility was developed to serve businesses in Tonbridge and the […]
Heidi Alexander’s car damaged by giant pothole

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander’s car has had to be taken off the road after hitting a huge pothole in Oxfordshire. The Mini Cooper had to be towed away after hitting a “crater worthy of the Moon”, according to The Sun newspaper. The report says her car struck the gaping fissure late at night as she […]
Opinion: Ground stability is critical to UK road performance – Mainmark

As pothole costs soar and climate pressures intensify, ground engineering experts warn that the real problem with the UK’s roads may lie beneath the surface. The rising cost of pothole repairs across the UK is back in the spotlight – but the issue goes far deeper than surface defects. Addressing the underlying ground conditions rather […]
ADEPT responds to new Government pothole announcement

David Shepherd, Chair of the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT)’s Transport & Connectivity Board, has issued a response to the government’s recent announcement on pothole investment. “We welcome the government’s commitment to accountability and to ensuring investment in local roads delivers real improvements for drivers,” he said. “Multi-year funding certainty […]