Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has set out a new approach to road maintenance, centred on greater use of technology, as a draft Road Maintenance Strategy opens for consultation.

She also welcomed the first digital stocktake of the road network, which is already in progress.

The draft strategy outlines how the Department intends to manage the network in the years ahead, guided by three principles: higher-quality maintenance, targeted maintenance and sustainable maintenance. Northern Ireland's network totals more than 25,922km of public roads, 9,700 footways, 5,800 bridges and 290,000 streetlights, with an estimated asset value of around £36bn.

Speaking at the launch, the Minister said: "It has become apparent over recent years of the necessity to develop a new approach to how the road network is maintained. "At the heart of the new strategy is a commitment to raise the standards of maintenance ensuring that interventions are timely and durable. "We will be targeting our resources where they are needed most and using new technology such as digital surveys to assess road conditions to deliver a sustainable service that meets the future needs of road users."

-- Advertisement --

Welcoming the roll-out of the first digital road survey to be undertaken across Northern Ireland, Liz Kimmins said: "This survey which is an integral part of the new strategy, will give us detailed condition assessments for carriageways and footways to enable our road maintenance teams to identify areas requiring immediate attention and enable future data-driven investment decisions to be made. "The use of technology will also support our active travel plans and assist us in the production of carbon management plans in support of the Climate Change Act. "I encourage everyone to share their views on this new approach, so that we invest in our infrastructure assets for the wider benefit of all."

The consultation opens today and runs until 30 January 2026, with details available on the Department for Infrastructure website.

Gaist and Essency have been appointed to carry out the first digital survey of the road network.