Utility companies opened up Northern Ireland’s roads 55,000 times

Utility companies have to dig up roads and pavements for things like installing gas or upgrading home broadband.

In 2023/24 this occurred 55,000 times, an increase on 53,000 openings the previous year and 54,000 the year before.

Under current regulations, if a road is not repaired properly following utilities works, costs for any remedial action lie with those companies which carried out the work, rather than taxpayers, as long as the defects are identified within two to three years.

The Audit Office report looked at the DfI’s performance in monitoring the quality of roadworks, and it is critical of the department’s current scheme for testing these defects.

It notes that the department’s testing regime consists of a high number of visual inspections, along with a small amount of laboratory testing of samples taken from repairs.

The report states that while more than 90% of repairs are currently passing the visual inspection, the number of repairs that pass the laboratory tests is well below this.

Auditors also found the DfI does not inspect the amount of repairs that it is meant to, which the department says is because of reduced staffing.

The reports recommends the department consider whether the present warranty period in Northern Ireland is long enough.

It notes a review in Scotland which saw the warranty period there increase to six years.