Cambridgeshire Roads Backlog Hits £800m Amid ‘Soil-Affected’ Issues

Cambridgeshire County Council is facing an £800 million roads maintenance backlog, with a significant portion attributed to “soil-affected” routes built on peat, a report to the council’s highways and transport committee has revealed.

The council estimates that repairing roads affected by peat alone would cost £500 million, due to the unique challenges posed by soil that expands and contracts with climate changes, causing cracks, subsidence, and structural damage. Around 40% of the county’s roads lie on peatland, making them more expensive and complex to maintain than standard surfaces.

A council spokesperson highlighted the challenge:

“These roads fundamentally need to be fully reconstructed, rather than simply patched, to ensure safe and reliable journeys for residents and road users.”

The county maintains 4,600km (2,858 miles) of roads, and its total net budget of £500 million must also cover statutory responsibilities such as social care, limiting the funds available for highways. In the past year, the council reconstructed or resurfaced 11km (6.8 miles) of peat-affected roads at a cost of £5.5 million. Essential works have recently begun on Forty Foot Bank, between Ramsey and Chatteris, a road described by residents as a “death trap” due to subsidence.

The council is also pushing for a fairer funding model from the government to reflect the higher costs of maintaining peat-affected roads. A Department for Transport spokesperson confirmed that the government would provide £188 million for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough over the next four years, aimed at resurfacing roads and tackling the “pothole plague”.

“The government has done its bit, now it’s over to councils to use this money to plan ahead and deliver safer, smoother journeys,” the spokesperson added.

Cambridgeshire received an “amber” rating in a new traffic light system designed to help drivers understand how effectively local authorities are addressing potholes and road condition issues.

Council officials warned that without additional funding and long-term planning, soil-affected roads will continue to deteriorate, posing safety risks to residents and increasing long-term maintenance costs.