Highway Infrastructure Asset Management

In 2014, the Department for Transport (DfT) undertook a review of the resilience of the UK transport network to extreme weather events. This followed a period of extreme weather in 2013/14, which saw high winds and heavy rainfall.  The DfT recommended “that Local Highway Authorities identify a 'resilient network' to which they will give priority, in order to maintain economic activity and access to key services during extreme weather”.

Our Suffolk's Resilient Network document (PDF, 398 KB) sets out our response to this recommendation and aligns with our wider strategies, including the:

• Suffolk local flood risk management strategy
• Suffolk climate action plan which details UK climate projections to 2080 to which may have a significant impact on the local road network

The identification of the resilient network will enable appropriate investment and maintenance to be planned and prioritised. This will ensure that these strategic routes are usable, as far as is reasonably practical, by the public, local business and critical emergency services during severe weather.  In addition, during times of extreme weather, Suffolk Highways first response will be to direct resources to this network ensuring it is clear from fallen trees, tackling flooding events and clearing snow.

The development of a resilient network directly supports our priorities to:

• support those most vulnerable in our communities (supporting access to key services); and
• develop Suffolk’s infrastructure and maintain roads (keeping critical routes open during extreme weather).

We have received £3.951 million from the Government's National Productivity Investment Fund (from the £185 million awarded nationally) which we will be spending on highway maintenance in Ipswich and on busy rural roads in Suffolk.   

In Ipswich, this funding will be spent on strengthening roads in the town centre used by buses in order to reduce damage to road surfaces and the services running underneath them. Some of the roads in the town centre are not very deep and emergency works to repair the road or the underlying pipes and cables can cause significant disruption. 

Outside Ipswich, this money will be spent on strengthening rural roads regularly used by heavy goods vehicles to access the "A" road network, many of which have evolved over time rather than being designed for these types of vehicle. Spending money on these routes will enable them to better withstand continued use by larger vehicles, thereby ensuring improved resilience and a lower likelihood of future major repairs (and the related disruption the repairs would cause).

On 4 October 2023, the government announced £8.3 billion of additional highways maintenance funding over the period 2023 to 2024 and the next 10 years for local road resurfacing and wider maintenance activity on the local highway network.

For Suffolk, this amounts to over £107m additional maintenance funding for the period to 2033/34.

£3.436m is available in both 2023/24 and 2024/25 with future amounts to be confirmed by the Department for Transport.

In 2024, we will be delivering a £10m local road resurfacing project across Suffolk that will resurface 249 local residential roads. Details of the locations can be found in the spreadsheet below. 

On 20 December 2024, the government announced the 2025 to 2026 highway maintenance funding allocations for all eligible highway authorities and mayoral combined authorities – this included additional funding announced by the Chancellor as part of the 2024 Budget.

As part of this announcement the Department for Transport (DfT) has requested that all local highways authorities publish information about their highways maintenance activities to demonstrate to local taxpayers the difference that funding is making in their areas. The below report explains the work Suffolk County Council does as the highway authority to manage and maintain infrastructure assets across the county.