HTMA Members, with our clients, are collectively responsible for managing and maintaining the highways infrastructure of the country, and accordingly we assist our clients in ensuring the robustness of the highways networks, both for now and for the future.

Climate change, now widely recognised as a real issue, and the potential impacts of climatic change need to be taken into account for improvement and efficient asset management and in any strategic planning. Rather than simply respond to changes happening around us, we need to become proactive and build in resilience to limit the possible vulnerabilities the networks have in a changing climate and maximise the opportunities available.

Some of the predicted impacts on the roads from hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters include: asphalt degenerating more quickly, hardcore underpinning cracking, flood damage more frequent and severe, standing water reducing safety and high winds felling trees across the roads. These impacts could increase the risk to road users' safety and influence their travel patterns. The changing climate will also alter the conditions under which highways road workers are expected to work, potentially making them more vulnerable to being harmed.

The demand on resources to maintain the networks will be put under increasing pressure and the challenge to demonstrate sustainable efficiencies is now a priority agenda item. Adapting to the changes and mitigating the impacts will assist to bring costs under control, right through from using the right designs and materials to the level of insurance required.