Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the annual cost is of (a) overrunning and (b) delayed road maintenance works.

Under the 1980 Highway Act, it is the responsibility of the local highway authority to maintain and manage the highway network it is responsible for.

The Department for Transport does not collect nor require local highway authorities to provide data about the costs of overrunning and/or delayed road maintenance works. However, it recognises that overrunning works can cause significant disruption to people’s journeys and congestion. For example, overrunning works by utility companies have previously been estimated to cost the economy over £4 billion per year.

The Traffic Management Act 2004 (TMA) contains powers to enable authorities to operate permit schemes, which have been essential in improving the management and coordination of works, thereby reducing disruption and impacts on road users.