Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

AS millions of Brits hit the roads this Christmas to visit family or go shopping, a new study reveals which areas are most likely to test your patience.

The analysis, conducted by field management software Re-flow Field Management, examined road condition data from the Department for Transport, looking at the percentage of roads given:- 'red' status, indicating surfaces in poor condition that may require immediate maintenance.

Liverpool ranks 8th worst in the UK for overall road quality. Only 45% of its A roads and motorways are rated green, while 45.2% are amber and 9.8% in:- 'red,' indicating mixed conditions across major routes. For B and C roads, 30.3% are green, 54.8% amber, and 15% red.

Started earlier this year, Liverpool City Council created an £850 million Highways Planned Works Framework to accelerate safety improvements, resurfacing, active travel schemes, bus route upgrades, and more. Additionally, the Liverpool City Region secured £8.7 million in government funding, specifically to fill tens of thousands of potholes and repair pavements across the region in 2025/26, with Liverpool expected to receive approximately £2.26 million.

To date, the Council’s highways programme has already delivered over 100,000 square meters of resurfaced roads and installed more than 100 new tactile crossings, improving accessibility and encouraging safer journeys across the city.

Ashley Wing, CMO of Re-flow Field Management, commented on the findings:- "As the UK heads into one of the busiest travel periods of the year, poor road quality isn't just inconvenient but downright dangerous. In 2024, nearly 30,000 people were killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads. When roads are already in poor condition, that extra pressure quickly turns into added risk. In areas that score poorly across both major and minor routes, worn surfaces, hidden potholes and winter weather create a combination that can easily lead to serious accidents. Families should be able to make their Christmas journeys without worrying about whether the road beneath them is safe. Local authorities need to prioritise repairs now, before holiday traffic peaks and the weather deteriorates further."

Top 10 UK areas with roads on the naughty list this Christmas...

Rank	Local authority	Percentage of A roads in red status	Percentage of A roads in amber status	Percentage of B & C roads in red status	Percentage of B & C roads in amber status
1.	West Northamptonshire	5%	71%	17.5%	72.5%
2.	Derbyshire	20.4%	44%	27%	47.6%
3.	North Northamptonshire	3%	71%	10%	82%
4.	Bristol, City of	8.8%	63.2%	10%	74.6%
5.	Southend-on-Sea	12.6%	47%	19.8%	51.8%
6.	Bath and Nort East Somerset	5%	56%	17%	60.5%
7.	Bradford	6.67%	62.67%	9.33%	63%
8.	Liverpool	9.8%	45.2%	15%	54.75%
9.	Cheshire West and Chester	1%	64.8%	4.4%	72.4%
10.	Westminster	4%	32%	16.5%	71.5%