More than a third of Highland Council roads are now substandard – and deteriorating faster than almost anywhere else in Scotland.
A new report puts the cost of bringing the routes up to scratch at £156million – with £16.25million a year needed just to keep them in their current state.
Highland Council’s director of community services William Gilfillan will present the stark reality of the region’s crumbling surfaces to councillors tomorrow – with a warning that the network will continue to deteriorate unless more money can be found.
The alarm is being raised following a sharp increase in the number of roads in the north considered “substandard” by experts – up from 29.3% in 2011-12, 29.3% to 36.2% for 2014-15.
In a report to the community services committee, Mr Gilfillan says the £156million backlog of repair work is 4.9% above the 2013-14 figure of £149million.
And he forecasts that the council would have to spend £16.25million a year on structural maintenance simply to “maintain a steady state”.
His report also reveals that in the past three years, Highland has had the third highest depreciation rate for roads in Scotland – behind only the Borders and Clackmannanshire.
The issue, highlighted in the Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey (SRMCS), has been criticised by road safety organisations and the Road Haulage Association.
Sarah-Jane Martin, of the charity Brake, said: “It is vitally important that road surfaces are kept in safe condition, as poorly maintained roads can contribute to devastating crashes that end and ruin lives.
“Investing in road repairs can help prevent the huge cost to society of a serious crash.”
Paul Watters, head of policy for the AA, said: “Potholes can cause injury to cyclists and can cause cars to crash because they have burst their tyres – and potholes are only indicative that the fabric of the road is wearing out.
“Also road surfaces that are not skid resistant result in more dangers to road users.”
He added that the association received more complaints about the conditions of the roads in Scotland than from elsewhere in the the UK.
Simon Williams of the RAC, said: “The condition of the roads is a huge concern for motorists – second only to the price of fuel.
“About 66% of motorists believe their local roads have been neglected and are deteriorating and this survey seems to prove them right.”
He added that potholes could cause motorists, motorcyclists or cyclists to change their course, heightening the risk of accidents.
Road Haulage Association director for Scotland and Northern Ireland, Martin Reid, said: “We get regular complaints about the state of the roads. Anything that causes problems getting from A to B is an issue for our members. Time is money and poor roads can lead to additional wear and tear on the vehicles.”
The annual survey covered 100% of A class roads, 50% of B and C class roads and 10% of unclassified roads.
This means that about 1,845 miles – or just under 44% – of the network in the Highlands was surveyed for the roughness of the road, rutting, cracking and the smoothness of the ride.
Councillor Ben Thompson, Caol and Mallaig, said he regularly received complaints about the issue and was very concerned about the survey results.
He said: “The council needs a viable strategy to deal with this issue because it is clearly getting worse and, if we don’t tackle it now, it will get even worse and more expensive.”