Written question asked by Greg Knight (Conservative) on Wednesday, 10 May 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 May 2023 (named day). It was answered by Richard Holden (Conservative) on Monday, 15 May 2023 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Roads: Bitumens

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the suitability of TS2010 asphalt for (a) the Strategic Road Network and (b) local roads in England.

Answer: The TS2010 is a specification that has been adopted in Scotland because it is considered that it offers durability benefits that are tailored to their environmental conditions. For the Strategic Road Network in England, National Highways has a wide range of Thin Surface Course Systems products some of which are very similar to TS2010 which provide the associated durability benefits while meeting National Highways’ additional safety requirements. For local roads in England, Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

Secondary information