Transport secretary Chris Grayling has launched a consultation on increasing the guarantee on utility firms’ roadworks form two years to five years, so that if a pothole forms as a result within five years, the company must return to bring the road surface back to normal.
The consultation seeks views on a new edition of the Specification for the reinstatement of openings in highways, a statutory code of practice for street works. It also introduces new asphalt standards.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling said: “Road surfaces can be made worse by utility companies, so imposing higher standards on repairs will help keep roads pothole-free for longer. The proposals also allow for new innovative surfacing to be used, such as asphalt with a high bitumen content that is easier to compact to the required density. This makes it less prone to potholing.”
The consultation – Reinstating a road after street works: new edition of the code of practice – runs for eight weeks.
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