The island’s budget for highway repairs has been cut – after a survey concluded most of the main Manx roads are in a good condition.

This might come as a surprise to motorists who frequently have to negotiate potholes on their way to and from work.

Some 1,300 people have logged complaints about potholes and other carriageway defects to the highway division’s ‘Report a Problem’ app since it was launched 16 months ago.

In his Budget speech last week, Infrastructure Minister Chris Thomas said the capital budget allocated for Department of Infrastructure projects is ‘significantly lower this year than in previous years’.

Some £6.125m has been earmarked in this year’s Budget to a rolling programme of highways improvements and refurbishment, with a further £1.155m available for structural maintenance.

But those figures are down from £7.287m and £1.540m respectively in 2022-23.

Mr Thomas said he accepted the budget for roads maintenance would take a hit given the other priorities for capital funding – and given our main primary and secondary routes are in better shape than many realise.

He explained that data from condition surveys of Manx roads has helped inform Treasury’s strategic needs assessment process, which has been used to determine where funding for capital schemes is allocated this year.

These surveys include skid resistance tests, scans of cracking, texture depth and ride quality and deflectographs which measure the residual life of the carriageway.

Deflectograph surveys of some 925km on primary and secondary routes were carried out of which almost half – 413km – were found to be in good condition with 30 years of life left.

Mr Thomas said only 34km were found to need immediate work carrying out as they were in such a poor condition and found to have less than minus 10 years of life.

He said: ‘I was surprised when news stated coming through as to how our assets have done relatively well in terms of assessing their condition.

‘I think it will be a surprise to the public who see the pothole outside their front door – but they don’t see the scientific tests.’

Treasury Minister Dr Alex Allinson insisted that while the funding for the strategic highways refurbishment programme was down on last year, it had received more in this year’s Budget than it normally gets.

He said the fund was usually £5.5m but in 2022-23 it was £7.3m but this was only because £1.8m of unspent budget had been allowed to carry forward from the previous year.

schemes

Mr Thomas said across his department the budget for rolling schemes had been cut from £41m this year to £29.18m, while that for discrete schemes had fallen from £50.64m to just under £17m.

Highways schemes included in this Pink Book include the completion of Balthane roundabout and Ballasalla by-pass, Douglas Promenade and East Quay Peel. Additional schemes are likely to include the A5 Brown Cow Hill project, the worst condition primary road, and some major highways in Douglas. Access inside the course during TT is also under consideration.

In a reply to a question at this month’s Tynwald sitting from Douglas South MHK Sarah Maltby, Mr Thomas revealed that some 2,162 complaints and concerns had been received and logged with his department’s Report a Problem app since its launch in November 2021.

Of these, more than half – 1,300 – were about carriageway defects including potholes.

There were 130 issues with drainage logged, 53 about fallen trees, 12 about flooding, 47 about manholes, 100 about vegetation and hedge cutting, 164 about signs and 131 about green lanes and public rights of way.

In addition, there were 10 complaints about residential parking and four about abandoned vehicles.

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