en.Wedoany.com Reported - The UK Roads Liaison Group (UKRLG) recently unveiled the direction of updates to the highway maintenance code of practice at the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) conference. John Paterson and Ravi Khera of AtkinsRealis, representing UKRLG, indicated that the new guidance will not revert to defining minimum service levels but will instead "optimise" the risk-based approach. The two have been leading the review and update of the current highway maintenance code, involving multiple working groups and dozens of industry stakeholders.

The current highway maintenance code, which came into effect in 2018, is founded on the core principle that highway authorities should adopt a risk-based approach according to local needs, priorities, and affordability. However, the concept of "affordability" has not developed in case law as anticipated, and resources are not generally considered a standalone defence under the Highways Act 1980. While the updated code will not mandate how to address this issue, it will provide a range of illustrative maintenance measures that authorities might take, which are neither prescriptive nor exhaustive, representing reasonable actions and reflecting different price levels.

Other updates to this England-wide highway maintenance guidance include: a new complete Part E on tunnels, new sections on carbon, artificial intelligence, innovation, street works, and human capital in Part A "General Principles", alongside expanded sections on network knowledge, finance and investment, and procurement and delivery. Part A will also contain asset chapters that make the general principles more specific. UKRLG stated that the updated highway maintenance code will align more closely with the four core objectives of safety, serviceability, sustainability, and customer service.

UKRLG plans to complete a draft highway maintenance code for public consultation this spring/summer, with the final version to be published in the autumn.

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