An Asset Management approach will better inform how we maintain the highway infrastructure in Suffolk.
Suffolk Highways' focus will be to prioritise routes that are used more frequently to connect communities and business areas, and to maintain these to the highest possible standard with the resources available.
Even using the most efficient form of highway maintenance, there's currently not enough money provided by central government to carry out everything that is required, and difficult decisions will need to be taken.
This will mean that we will often treat roads and pavements with a preventative treatment when they appear to be in a reasonable condition to avoid them deteriorating and needing more expensive, and potentially more disruptive works in future.
Lower priority roads, which are in very poor condition will not necessarily be treated first, so you may see particular sections of road that are in a poor condition left unrepaired for longer.
Preventative treatments can be a tenth of the cost of more comprehensive repairs. Roads will always be maintained in a safe condition, e.g. potholes will be repaired.
There are certain asset materials that provide the same function, but have greatly varying maintenance costs, e.g. pavements are generally bituminous, precast concrete slabs or paving stones. The latter two are much more liable to damage and expensive to repair, so the presumption under the proposals will be to replace these at the end of their economic life with flexible bituminous materials. However these more expensive materials will be considered in some areas, for example conservation and prestige shopping areas.
Cost effective minor repairs of concrete slabs and paving stones in all locations will continue.
The aim is also to improve how we communicate with utility companies to ensure that, where practical, they do not dig up roads where significant works have just taken place.
The Asset Management approach also supports better communication with stakeholders, helping people to develop a better understanding of the contribution highway infrastructure assets make to economic growth and the needs of local communities.
We will improve the information available to the public on this website, this will include publishing:
- a detailed programme of works for the year ahead
- a list of likely schemes for future years
A Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Plan has been developed which provides more detail on Suffolk Highways' proposed new approach to asset management.
You can see the plan by clicking the Read the draft Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Plan section below.