New figures reveal the condition of West Sussex's roads

The condition of the major roads in West Sussex is getting worse according to the Department of Transport.
Concern over the state of West Sussex roadsConcern over the state of West Sussex roads
Concern over the state of West Sussex roads

Inspections of the road network carried out in the 12 months to March 2017 revealed that 5% or 14.8 miles of the 297 miles of A roads run by the council may be in need of repair.

The road examinations, done by scanner machines, and in some cases human inspection identify sections of road that are worn by use or may have ruts, bumps or potholes.

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It’s not clear from the data the extent of disrepair to the 15 miles of road that have been identified.

In the previous 12 months 3% of A roads, or 8.9 miles, required maintenance.

The data also shows that 4% of the B and C roads were likely in need of work. Unclassified roads, small lanes used for local traffic, also required repairs, with 9% which likely need maintenance.

In total there are 2,296 miles of minor roads in West Sussex.

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The highway inspections use a classification called Road Condition Indicator. This categorises a road as green, amber or red, based on ruts and bumps.

If a part of a route is branded red it should be checked more thoroughly as it is likely to require maintenance.

The figures also show that road conditions are worse than they were five years ago, when 3% of West Sussex’s A roads were likely in need of repairs.

The condition of unclassified roads has improved, as from April 2011 to March 2012 15% of minor roads required repairs.

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These statistics only refer to West Sussex’s local authority run roads.

The majority or roads in the area are the responsibility of the council while Highways England is in charge of the maintenance for motorways and some major A roads.

A DfT spokesman commented on the figures: “We are investing record amounts to improve our roads to link people with jobs, families and services.

“These statistics show that our investment is making a difference, with fewer key roads needing maintenance than 10 years ago.”

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