UK Advances £7.3 Billion Road Maintenance Plan with £800 Million Increase in Capital Spending
en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 8, the UK Department for Transport published the latest progress on the management and performance assessment of local road maintenance funding in England. According to the maintenance transparency reports submitted by local authorities, planned capital spending on road maintenance across the country this year has increased by approximately £800 million compared with two years ago. The Department for Transport is analyzing the relevant data and continuing to advance the £7.3 billion local road maintenance funding plan for the period from April 2026 to March 2030, covering road resurfacing, preventive maintenance, and renewal of existing road infrastructure.
Dominik Lengauer, Head of Local Roads at the UK Department for Transport, presented the funding delivery and regulatory arrangements at the 2026 Strictly Highways industry conference. The four-year maintenance funding will be allocated to local highway authorities through an annual grant mechanism for the maintenance and improvement of the existing road network. Local authorities are required to develop works programs based on road asset conditions, repair needs, and annual budgets, and to submit data on funding use and maintenance activities.
The Department for Transport is advancing the project selection process for the Structures Fund. This fund primarily supports local authorities in repairing or replacing road bridges, overpasses, and other highway structures that are difficult to fund through regular maintenance budgets. The relevant application guidance was published in April 2026, and applicants are required to submit engineering proposals, cost estimates, and economic assessment materials. Selected projects are scheduled to be announced in autumn 2026, and funded works must be completed by the end of March 2030.
The performance assessment of local road maintenance has also entered a new round of preparation. The Department for Transport is reviewing the transparency reports submitted by local authorities, covering asset management information such as road maintenance expenditure, road resurfacing activities, drainage systems, bridge structures, and footways. The subsequent ratings will use the verified data and will further take into account the level of road asset management, professional staff training, and the maintenance of relevant infrastructure.
Maintenance incentive funding for the 2026–2027 financial year continues to be linked to local authorities' information disclosure and management requirements. Local highway authorities must publish annual maintenance transparency reports, submit updated asset management policies and strategies, and provide professional training records. The Department for Transport will arrange subsequent funding payments based on the fulfillment of the relevant conditions, and authorities that fail to publish reports as required will not receive the corresponding incentive funding.
The Department for Transport will also continue to support the local road innovation program Live Labs 2 and organize peer reviews of road maintenance management through the Local Government Association. The revised Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure, developed jointly with industry bodies, is expected to be published soon. The annual winter road maintenance survey will also be launched, and local highway authorities are required to update their salt stock and related assurance data in preparation for winter road maintenance work.
