Guest blog: Building climate resilience in streets and roads

Building Climate Resilience: Adapting our streets and roads to climate change

As climate change increasingly impacts our environment, the UK must prioritise not only decarbonisation but also climate resilience. While reducing emissions remains essential, decarbonisation is a long-term strategy. Dealing with the immediate impact of extreme weather events and infrastructure challenges is a critical short-term survival imperative. Ensuring our roads and utilities can withstand these challenges is key to protecting communities and maintaining essential services now and in the future.

Identifying and addressing vulnerabilities within the road network is vital. Increased rainfall and flooding are among the most pressing threats, as intense rainfall events overwhelm drainage systems, saturate slopes, and destabilise the foundations of critical infrastructure. Effective drainage is essential to prevent roads from flooding, which can lead to waterlogging and structural instability. To address this, the street works and road works sectors, represented by the Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee HAUC(UK), are systematically upgrading drainage systems to handle higher volumes of water and identifying high-risk flood areas to prioritise interventions. Beyond direct rainfall impacts, river flooding and erosion also threaten the stability of bridges and other structures, necessitating improved designs and monitoring systems.

Extreme temperature fluctuations pose additional challenges. Prolonged heatwaves soften asphalt, causing cracks, surface deformation, and the expansion of concrete pavements. Water seeping into these cracks weakens the road’s underlying structure, leading to potholes. To combat these issues, the industry is adopting advanced maintenance technologies and sustainable materials. Innovative machinery can now repair potholes by heating and applying recycled asphalt to damaged areas, creating a durable, waterproof seal. This process incorporates flowable materials that replaces traditional bitumen binder with end-of-life waste tyres, enhancing road durability and reducing landfill waste. Research is also underway to develop innovative solutions for managing temperature-induced expansion in bridges and other critical infrastructure components.

Coastal roads and bridges are increasingly at risk due to rising sea levels and coastal erosion. Storm surges and tidal changes can undermine bridge foundations and cause severe structural damage. Expected increases in wind speeds in the latter half of the century further complicate matters, as high winds can damage signage, electronics, and high-sided vehicles, while also amplifying storm surges. Proactive measures, such as reinforcing parapets on exposed bridges and reducing speed limits during high wind conditions, are increasingly being deployed to mitigate these risks.

Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing climate resilience. Smart sensors embedded in roads and bridges provide real-time data on structural stress and environmental conditions, enabling early detection of vulnerabilities and reducing the risk of sudden failures. Artificial intelligence and predictive analytics analyse vast datasets to forecast potential impacts of extreme weather and identify areas requiring immediate attention. Digital twins, virtual replicas of physical assets, allow engineers to simulate and optimise infrastructure performance under different scenarios, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively and vulnerabilities are addressed proactively.

A key innovation in emissions reduction and climate resilience is the Optioneering Tool, developed by HAUC(UK) as part of the Road to Net Zero Project. This platform will provide evidence-based insights into the environmental, economic, and social impacts of various design and construction choices. By enabling stakeholders to compare options comprehensively, it encourages the adoption of sustainable practices and informed decision-making. The tool considers factors such as CO2-reducing construction methods, material selection, recycling opportunities, and traffic management strategies, ensuring that decisions align with carbon reduction goals while delivering broader societal benefits.

Nature-based solutions also play a critical role in climate adaptation. Managing land use and implementing measures to slow water runoff reduces flooding risks while providing additional benefits such as wildlife habitats and carbon sequestration. Collaborating with local stakeholders on floodplain restoration helps mitigate downstream flooding and enhances environmental sustainability. These initiatives demonstrate how sustainable practices can complement traditional engineering approaches to build resilience.

Collaboration is fundamental to addressing climate challenges. Local resilience groups bring together stakeholders to coordinate responses to regional risks, while national partnerships facilitate the sharing of best practices and data. International collaboration enables the UK to learn from global experiences and apply innovative solutions. Engaging with the supply chain ensures that climate risks are integrated into every stage of infrastructure planning, development, and repair. Additionally, collaborating with communities ensures that resilience measures align with societal needs, enhancing public safety, economic stability, and environmental sustainability.

Building climate resilience is a long-term endeavour that requires a proactive and unified approach. Integrating advanced materials, innovative technologies, and collaborative planning will enable the street works and road works sectors to create a robust and adaptive infrastructure network. This approach not only protects communities but also minimises economic disruptions and ensures that the UK’s transport network remains functional and resilient in the face of an uncertain climate future.

The challenges posed by climate change demand innovation, foresight, and cooperation. By prioritising resilience, the UK can ensure that its infrastructure supports a sustainable and prosperous future, setting an example for other nations to follow. The road ahead is defined by the commitment to sustainability and the resilience of communities and networks alike.

_{We would like to acknowledge and express our appreciation for the contributions of JAG(UK), HAUC(UK) and the Road to Net Zero project team to this article.}

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