“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 […]
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 […]
£2.3m Burton resurfacing scheme to start in May
Work to fully resurface Derby Road, in Burton, will begin next month. The £2.3m scheme, expected to take around three months, will see crews resurface the route between Derby Turn island and the Pirelli roundabout in two phases. The first phase, beginning on Monday 11 May, will see crews carrying out civil works under a one-way system. Then, from Monday […]
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 […]
DfT writes letter to local authorities on local highway maintenance funding
Antonia Williams, Director General, Roads Transport Group, Department for Transport, has issued a letter addressed to the Chief Executives of local highway authorities in England, highlighting highways maintenance incentive funding requirements for 2026 to 2027. The full letter can be read here, but it begins: “Dear chief executive, The Department for Transport (DfT) has previously […]