Roads conditions in Southend
A Roads
| Year | Percentage of road in red category | Percentage of road in amber category | Percentage of road in green category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 9.21% | 45.83% | 44.87% |
| 2024 | 9.10% | 48.23% | 42.67% |
| 2025 | 8.31% | 49.81% | 41.88% |
B and C Roads
| Year | Percentage of road in red category | Percentage of road in amber category | Percentage of road in green category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 11.76% | 51.42% | 33.98% |
| 2024 | 12.65% | 53.88% | 33.47% |
| 2025 | 10.50% | 51.59% | 37.92% |
U Roads
| Year | Percentage of road in red category |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 24.10% |
| 2024 | 23.82% |
| 2025 | 22.79% |
Councils use road condition surveys to assess the state of their roads. The results are grouped into three categories:
- Green – the road is in good condition and no further investigation or treatment is required
- Amber – the road may need maintenance soon
- Red – the road is in poor condition and should be considered for maintenance
The published official statistics for road condition include more detail about the methodology, timing and coverage of this data.
Additional information on carriageway condition
Southend does not follow the standard route for condition data collection. We utilise Gaist surveys over the traditional SCANNER technique. These surveys give a much better indication of the actual condition of our network over the SCANNER technique, which provides only a limited picture of the overall highway.
The DfT has recently developed the PAS2161 requirements and has published these for 2027/28. This should place Southend in its true position when compared against other highway authorities.
It is noted on current DfT published statistics against Southend's figures - ‘Where figures have been provided by a local authority using alternative methods, they are flagged as they are not directly comparable to SCANNER figures. Caution should be taken when comparing these figures to other Local Authorities.’
Southend also completes an annual skidding resistance survey. We include this data when selecting our future schemes.