Every motorist in Britain is familiar with the sudden jolt of a pothole, but fewer of us are aware they’re just symptoms of a bigger policy failure impacting all the UK’s roads.

Listen to this article

For years, the conversation around our roads has focused on temporary patches and short-term fixes. The reality is that we’re witnessing the potential decline of one of the UK's most valuable assets.

To understand the scale of the crisis, we need to look at the balance sheet. Britain’s road network is valued at roughly £400 billion. It is the primary artery for our economy, moving people, goods and services. However, the cost to bring these roads up to a safe, fit-for-purpose standard is now estimated at £50 billion. The UK Government has only allocated £24 billion.

This £26 billion funding gap is a fundamental barrier to fixing our roads. When the budget covers less than half of the required maintenance, local authorities are forced into a reactive cycle - chasing potholes after they appear rather than........

© LBC