Work programme

The purpose of the UKRLG is:

• to develop and promulgate best practice on technical, financial, administrative and operational matters relating to the sustainable construction, maintenance, availability, safety and use of highways, taking into account the different circumstances that may arise in the four UK countries and in urban and rural areas;
  
  
• to progress initiatives to further the uptake of such best practice;
  
  
• to be a source of advice on the development of highways engineering and maintenance policy to national governments, local authorities and professional bodies across the UK on best practice and priorities for research within the wider transport picture.
  

The UKRLG has the following overall priorities:

• providing advice to the national governments of the UK on all aspects of the design, maintenance and use of the highway network, including advice on the monitoring of asset condition;
  
  
• commissioning and dissemination of research which furthers the effective and efficient delivery of highway maintenance;
  
  
• publication and maintenance of codes of practice for the assessment and maintenance of highways infrastructure; and design standards for infrastructure;
  
  
• setting standards for infrastructure condition surveys; and infrastructure management systems; including putting accreditation and quality assurance systems in place;
  
  
• promoting transport engineering as a career, and helping to ensure a supply of recruits to the professions;
  
  
• acting as a representative of highways engineers in the implementation and revision of Eurocodes and British Standards.
  
  
• addressing specific issues as requested by any of the national governments.
  

Specific priorities for 2005/06 - 2007/08 are:

• continue to produce, best practice advice in the forms of codes of practice for the maintenance of carriageways, footways, bridges, structures and street lighting.  When all three new codes are in place in summer 2005, consider arrangements for future updating and put them in place;
  
  
• advise on new and revised Best Value Performance Indicators for highway maintenance to fit in with ODPM's annual consultation exercises;
  
  
• continue to develop computerised asset management systems for roads, bridges, and street lighting consistent with optimum service delivery and resource input. In the case of the latter two, have the systems available for general promulgation by April 2006;
  
  
• support local authority adoption of the CSS/TAG asset management framework and the move to Whole of Government Accounts;
  
  
• advise annually on research needed to fulfil the above objectives and formalise funding arrangements among the Group members, by November each year