Roads Service: Bridge Assessment and Strengthening Programme - A Progress Report

Roads Service's Bridge Assessment and Strengthening Programme was launched in 1986 in response to a European Directive to allow 40 tonne vehicles to be used on Northern Ireland's Motorway and Trunk Road Network from 1 January 1999. The Programme, which was subsequently extended to cover all roads, is aimed at ensuring that some 5,500 of Northern Ireland's 8,500 bridges are assessed and strengthened, where necessary, to carry safely the increased lorry weights.

The Audit Office report examines the progress made by Roads Service in implementing the Programme and the main findings are:

  • with two exceptions, all substandard structures on Northern Ireland's Motorway and Trunk Road Network have been upgraded and, consequently, the requirements of the European Directive have been substantially met;
  • Roads Service had completed 94 per cent of its extended assessment programme by 1 January 1999 and is on target to complete all assessments by the end of December 2001. Of the 955 structures found to be substandard, 484 had been strengthened by 1 January 1999;
  • the strengthening programme is unlikely to be completed until 2008-10 and it has been necessary for Roads Service to introduce a limited number of weight and width restrictions on some bridges until they can be upgraded;
  • the total spend on the Programme at 1 January 1999 was £33 million, with Roads Service estimating that it will require some £35-£40 million over the next 10 years to complete;
  • Roads Service has recognised the need to set targets and milestones for the remainder of the Programme against which performance and progress can be assessed and reported on annually; and
  • the introduction of a new computerised bridge management information system in 1999 will enable Roads Service to monitor costs more closely in order to reduce the cost of work where appropriate and disseminate any lessons learnt.

Notes

The Comptroller and Auditor General is Head of the Northern Ireland Audit Office (the Audit Office). He, and the NIAO, are totally independent of Government. He certifies the accounts of Government Departments and a range of other public sector bodies. He has statutory authority to report to Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which departments and public bodies use their resources. His reports are published as House of Commons papers.