Roads works instructions
The information provided is accurate as of January 2026.
Overview
The information shown comes from our road asset management database. It does not include defect reports submitted through our customer service system.
Outstanding works instructions do not directly represent the number of safety defects. Instead, they cover a wide variety of assets within the road boundary, including:
- carriageways
- footways
- bridges and other structures
- street lighting
A single works instruction can relate to:
- one streetlight or an entire street
- one pothole or multiple potholes
- maintenance tasks such as vegetation clearance, drainage or renewal of road markings
Some types of work, such as major capital projects, are not recorded in this system and therefore do not appear in these figures.
Creation of instructions
Works instructions are created for a variety of reasons, including:
- inspections of assets such as bridges, culverts, and streetlights
- maintenance activities, for example clearing vegetation, repairing blocked gullies, or resolving lighting faults
- future planned works
We maintain a large road network, and a wide range of associated assets including bridges, retaining walls, footways, gullies, streetlights and signs. Maintenance needs are substancial and naturally build up over time. Note that some works instructions shown in the system may already have been completed but not yet closed.
|
Operational Area |
Number |
|---|---|
|
Badenoch and Strathspey |
2,814 |
|
Caithness |
5,894 |
|
Inverness |
3,641 |
|
Lochaber |
3,014 |
|
Nairn |
270 |
|
Ross and Cromarty |
6,570 |
|
Sutherland |
6,749 |
|
Skye |
1,593 |
|
Total |
30,545 |
Planning and scheduling road maintenance works
Not all works require immediate attention. There are several reasons why a works instruction may remain outstanding, including:
- many instructions are not urgent or safety-related and can be scheduled for a later date
- some require design work or tendering before they can begin
- udget constraints mean we must prioritise the most critical issues first
- urgent defects may receive temporary repairs until a permanent fix can be carried out
Repair costs
The cost of carrying out works can vary widely depending on the complexity of the task. Individual defect costs are not usually recorded unless the work is delivered as part of a specific contract.