Roads 'unusable' in five years, warn transport chiefs

Twenty per cent of roads in England and Wales could be unusable in five years, transport chiefs have warned.

Cracks and potholes are turning asphalt into danger zones for cars and lorries, let alone anything on two wheels and the RAC have reported a sharp increase in pothole-related incidents in the aftermath of the severe weather at the beginning of the month.

Twenty percent of carriageways in England and Wales are five years away from being unusable according to a study by the Asphalt Industry Alliance.

“The Government and local authorities can do a lot more to bring the network up to standard so that the roads aren’t full of cracks waiting to turn into dangerous potholes that can cause collisions," said Road Haulage Association chief executive, Richard Burnett.