HIGHWAYS AGENCY: THE BRIDGE PROGRAMME

England's motorway and trunk road network has about 9500 bridges and 5100 other structures, which need repair and upgrading to handle the effects of traffic growth, increases in vehicle weights, weathering, and other forms of deterioration. In November 1987, the Department of Transport (DOT) launched a 15-year programme, to restore these bridges and structure to a good condition at an estimated total cost of #2.2 billion, of which about #700m had been spent by 31 March 1995. The National Audit Office (NAO) examined this bridge programme halfway through its life. This report reviews what has been achieved so far towards realising the programme's aims, and assesses what remains to be done. The Highways Agency has been able to limit the proportion of severe defects needing urgent attention to less than 2%, though the proportion of elements needing less urgent attention has risen from 12% to 17%. It was less successful in limiting the extent of deterioration although the assessments of bridge strength are on target. The NAO also examined the scope for better targeting of available resources, to increase the bridge programme's impact during the rest of its life and made recommendations for closer monitoring of the condition of bridges and other structures.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0102697965
• Corporate Authors:

  Her Majesty Stationary Office

  49 High Holborn
  London WC1V 6HB,   England 
• Publication Date: 1996-3-27

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 48 p.
• Serial:
  • HC 282 SESSION 1995-96
  • Publisher: Her Majesty Stationary Office

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Continuous structures; Costs; Deterioration; Durability; Evaluation and assessment; Federal government; Improvements; Networks; Policy; Repairing; Roads; Strategic planning; Strength of materials; Surveillance; Traffic flow; Weight
• Uncontrolled Terms: Increase; Road networks
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 3455: Bridge; 9006: Continuous; 224: Cost; 5255: Deterioration; 5910: Durability; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 183: Government (national); 9108: Improvement; 9032: Increase; 173: Policy; 141: Priority (gen); 3635: Repair; 1053: Road network; 5544: Strength (mater); 9101: Surveillance; 671: Traffic flow; 8119: United Kingdom; 5485: Weight
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Finance; Highways; Policy;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00725403
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• ISBN: 0-10-269796-5
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Sep 26 1996 12:00AM