Highways maintenance programme
Overview
We are responsible for maintenance and improvements of highway assets across the borough which include roads, footways, bridges, street lighting, traffic signals, drainage, and Chester City Walls.
We identify and prioritise what maintenance, repair and improvement work will be undertaken on an annual basis.
We have a highway asset management approach (PDF, 2.31MB) to how we identify and selection schemes for improvement to ensure that we prioritise our allocated funding effectively. The demands on our highway maintenance budget far outpaces the funding available to address them, so difficult choices do need to be made about which roads are treated and when.
Condition surveys
Each year the Council must undertake condition surveys of the highway network and report these values to the Department for Transport (DfT). These figures are referred to as RCI (Road Condition Indices) and are presented as a percentage of the network in a Red, Amber and Green State.
- Red - Indicates considerable deterioration and may need maintenance within the next 12 months
- Amber - Should be investigated to see if the road needs treatment
- Green - Good condition
In real terms, roads identified as red may need a structural repair, for example, resurfacing where potholes and significant other defects have been identified.
Roads identified as Amber will not include potholes, but will show other signs of wear, cracking, and are ideal to use treatments that halt this deterioration and renew the road. These treatments cost up to 10 times less than structural maintenance and are referred to as preventative. Roads identified as green require no action.
The traditional way of determining whether a road is red, amber or green, is by what are called SCANNER surveys. The DfT specifies that SCANNER surveys of the local road network should be undertaken as follows:
- Annually, covering on average at least 45% of the ‘A’ road network in both directions
- Annually, covering on average at least 42.5% of the ‘B’ road network in both directions
- Annually, covering on average at least 40% of the ‘C’ road network in one direction
With DfT approval, Cheshire West and Chester Council, along with other authorities, has changed the way in which the condition surveys have been carried out, and moved away from traditional methods.
This is because the alternative methodology (GAIST) that this Council now uses enables the authority to survey 100% of its road network, so that we have an up to date, accurate picture of our whole network, every year, without increasing the cost.
Using this data, we are able to treat more effectively those parts of the network that require structural maintenance (Red) and importantly, implement preventative maintenance, essentially sealing them, (Amber) to stop the roads in an amber state from deteriorating into the red state, which would cost up to 10 times more to repair.
Cheshire West and Chester is committed to improving the highway condition of our network and is working closely with our delivery partners to look for innovate solutions ensure that the limited funding we have to repair the roads is utilised effectively.
The DfT’s reports into the condition of roads, including in Cheshire West and Chester, can be found on the Gov.UK website.
How is Highways work funded?
Highways funding is split into mainly two areas – revenue and capital:
- Revenue: this comes from the Council budgets and is used for daily general maintenance activities
- Capital: funding is provided by central government grants and the Council’s own investment and delivers improvements to the road network
We also submit funding bids for other improvement works for specific projects that meet the criteria for budget allocations. We submit an application against other bidders with the aim to be successful in securing additional grant funding.
How are the schemes chosen?
Our Asset Management policy sets out our approach to identifying schemes for treatment each year. It is important that we remain neutral and impartial in these decisions and treat all roads in the borough in a fair and transparent way.
The Department for Transport funding requires us to move towards a preventative measure basis (to maintain sites before they deteriorate too badly). This enables us to prolong the life of our network in a much more economical way.
The selection of schemes and treatments is based on the right time to treat roads in each state in its lifecycle. Where a road that has deteriorated to a level where a preventative treatment in no longer viable, then it will be re-assessed to see where this sits in our structural works priority - these are sites that have deteriorated to a degree that they require structural work, eg. carriageway resurfacing etc.
We have two different programmes of work:
Preventative treatment
Roads that are in a reasonable condition but would benefit from a treatment to prolong their condition.
There are several different treatment types designed to extend the life of the existing surface and to stop the roads deteriorating into a state where reactive maintenance will be required.
Structural (reactive) works
Roads that have deteriorated so require more substantial work such as resurfacing or structural deeper reconstruction work.
Scheme design
The list of schemes, identified using our asset management approach, set the annual forward programme for the different work streams. We assess the identified schemes with our Delivery Partner to agree the most appropriate treatment to ensure value for money.
A full detailed design will be undertaken including site investigation, scoping of works (measure of site, appropriate traffic management etc); safety requirements to undertake the works safety and assessment of cost.
Following design, these works are programmed and where possible advertised to inform residents, businesses, and commuters of the proposed start dates. These dates can vary and change during programmes as these types of work are generally weather dependant.
