Despite a reported 35 per cent rise in funding, the 2026 Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey from the Asphalt Industry Alliance found limited improvements in road conditions.
Resurfacing now takes place just once every 132 years, on average.
David Giles, chair of the AIA, said: “I think all road users would agree that the condition of our local roads has become a national disgrace.
“We can see from tracking ALARM data over the last decade that inconsistent funding levels, coupled with the impact of frequent adverse weather events on a consistently underfunded – and increasingly fragile network – means a well maintained network still lies a long way off.”
Highway maintenance budgets in Wales for 2025/26 have risen to an average of £11.5 million per authority, with 51 per cent spent directly on road surfaces and structures.
The proportion of roads classified as “red” – needing maintenance in the next 12 months – has fallen by two per cent, but seven per cent of the Welsh network, more than 1,400 miles, still requires intervention over the next year.
The AA reported 4,680 pothole-related callouts in Wales during January and February this year.
AA president Edmund King said: “The ALARM 2026 report starkly warns us how much more needs to be done to eradicate this plague of potholes.
“We have been seeing with our own eyes, and feeling with our wheels, how record wet weather linked to substandard roads has led to many local roads becoming patchwork obstacle courses.
“Extra funding needs to be maintained and spent on more permanent repairs to prevent extensive vehicle damage and potentially fatal injuries to those on two wheels.”
The 2026 ALARM report is available to download at www.asphaltuk.org.
