Local roads across England and Wales now need a record £18.6billion to be brought up to a decent standard, according to a major new report.
The annual ALARM survey, published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance, paints a bleak picture of crumbling roads despite rising budgets.
Councils were found to be spending more than before, with highway maintenance funding up 17 per cent to an average of £30.5million each in 2025-26, although drivers are still seeing little improvement.
David Giles, chair of the AIA, gave a damning indictment, saying: “I think all road users would agree that the condition of our local roads has become a national disgrace.”
He warned that even when the roads are being repaired, it’s the workers “who were attacked every day, either verbally or even physically”. He added that they “get shouted at, spat at, and even hit”.
Mr Giles added: “I was out filming the other day, and a van driver stopped, thinking we were working for the local authority, and what we got was a string of expletives.”
The survey, now in its 31st year, received responses from nearly 80 per cent of local authorities, showing that years of underinvestment and worsening weather have left roads in a fragile state.
Only 51 per cent of local roads are classed as being in good condition, with around one in six roads, over 32,500 miles, having less than five years of life left.
Experts warned that one in six roads needs to be repaired due to potholes
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GETTYAt the same time, roads are being resurfaced far less often than recommended. On average, a road is fully resurfaced only once every 97 years, even though reports detail how it should be done every 10 to 20 years.
Over the past year, workers filled 1.9 million potholes, more than 5,200 every day, although almost half of the entire network, around 100,000 miles, now has less than 15 years of life remaining.
Councils explained how they needed an extra £8.1million each last year just to stop roads getting worse. In total, that leaves a funding gap of £1.37billion, up 10 per cent on the previous year.
However, councils estimate that clearing the repair backlog would cut annual maintenance costs by around £1billion. Even with proper funding, it would take about 12 years to get roads back into a reasonable condition.
Labour has pledged billions of pounds for local authorities to repair roads and fill in potholes | KWIK FIT
A decade ago, the backlog stood at £12billion, but has now risen by more than 50 per cent, with motoring groups warning that drivers are already feeling the impact.
Edmund King, President of the AA, said: “The ALARM 2026 report starkly warns us how much more needs to be done to eradicate this plague of potholes.”
He revealed the AA dealt with 137,000 pothole-related incidents in just January and February, 25,000 more than last year.
Safety concerns are also growing, with Nicholas Lyes from IAM RoadSmart warning that poor roads are putting lives at risk.
Estimates suggest it would cost more than £18billion to fill in potholes across the UK
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PAHe added that the “embarrassing” state of roads is becoming a “national scandal”, noting that drivers are being forced to swerve around potholes.
The Government has pledged £1.6billion for local road maintenance in England this financial year, £500million more than before, while a further £7.3billion is planned between 2026 and 2030.
The AIA urged ministers to bring forward funding so councils can move away from what he called a “seemingly endless cycle of pothole patch and repair”.
He said investing earlier would allow more preventative work, stopping potholes from forming in the first place. “It will be some time before the impact of increased funding levels… will be noticed by the public,” he warned.