Scottish Transport Statistics No 34 2015 Edition

Road Network

Road Network

1. Introduction

1.1 This chapter provides information about public road lengths by local authority, road class, type and speed limit. It also includes statistics on the amount of trunk road constructed/re-surfaced and information on the residual life of the trunk road network.

1.2. Unusual year to year changes in the reported road lengths may be due to the gradual introduction of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to calculate road lengths by the data providers- see Notes and Definitions section.

Key Points

  • Scotland has 55,987 km of road network
  • Six per cent is trunk road (1% is motorway)
  • Scotland has 10.5 km of road per 1,000 people compared to 6.3 km in GB.

2. Main Points

Road length

2.1 There were 55,987 kilometres of public road in Scotland at 31 March 2015. The trunk road network accounted for 6% of the total. Other (non-trunk) A roads represented 13% of the total. Minor roads (B and C roads, and unclassified roads) accounted for the remaining 80% of roads. (Table 4.1)

2.2 The length of the motorway network remained the same between April 2014 and April 2015. (Table 4.1)

2.3 Over a quarter of the total trunk road network, and about one-seventh of the Scottish road network, is within the area of the Highland Council. Around 10% of the Scottish road network is within the Aberdeenshire Council area and a further 8% is within the Dumfries and Galloway Council area. These three Local Authorities account for almost a third of Scotland's road network. (Table 4.2)

Road Maintenance

2.4 Overall there was a decrease of 21% in the amount of trunk road that was newly constructed, reconstructed, strengthened or surface dressed in 2014-15 compared to the previous year. (Table 4.3)

2.5 In 2014-15, 22.9% of the motorway network, 10.4% of the dual carriageway and 11.3% of the single carriageway trunk road network required close monitoring of the state of the road surface. (Table 4.5 (b))

2.6 In 2014-15 the National Road Condition Indicator (RCI) showed 29% of the local authority A road network may, following more detailed examination, require some kind of maintenance (see the Notes and Definitions section, page 225). For the whole of the local authority network (all road categories), about 37% may similarly require some kind of maintenance. (Table 4.6)

Table 4.1 Public road lengths by class, type and speed limit 1,2
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Trunk roads 3, 6
Motorways Kilometres
Excluding slip roads 371 377 392 392 392 390 389 397 420 420 420
Including slip roads 519 525 546 547 547 546 544 558 598 598 600
A roads
Dual carriageway 505 524 531 521 521 523 523 523 513 513 504
Single carriageway 2,357 2,351 2,330 2,323 2,323 2,332 2,327 2,317 2,316 2,314 2,326
Other inc slips/roundabout 101 105 111 114 114 119 123 125 126 126 141
Total 2,963 2,980 2,972 2,958 2,958 2,974 2,974 2,965 2,955 2,953 2,970
by speed limit:
up to 40 mph 236 238 232 229 229 226 233 230 227 227 239
over 40 mph 2,727 2,742 2,740 2,730 2,730 2,748 2,740 2,735 2,727 2,725 3,331
All trunk roads 3,4 3,482 3,505 3,518 3,505 3,505 3,520 3,518 3,523 3,553 3,551 3,570
Local Authority major roads 7
Motorways
Excluding slip roads - - - - - - - - - - -
Including slip roads - - - - - - - - - - -
A roads
Dual carriageway 5 228 245 242 242 243 243 229 232 268 270 272
Single carriageway 5 7,190 7,188 7,182 7,139 7,178 7,178 7,185 7,235 7,204 7,203 7,134
Total 7,418 7,433 7,424 7,381 7,421 7,421 7,414 7,467 7,473 7,473 7,406
by speed limit:
up to 40 mph 1,440 1,453 1,485 1,491 1,515 1,508 1,509 1,559 1,567 1,572 1,616
over 40 mph 5,977 5,980 5,939 5,889 5,906 5,913 5,905 5,907 5,906 5,901 5,791
All LA major roads4 7,418 7,433 7,424 7,381 7,421 7,421 7,414 7,467 7,473 7,473 7,406
Local Authority minor roads 7
B roads
limit up to 40 mph 1,092 1,096 1,141 1,152 1,174 1,176 1,170 1,189 1,194 1,194 1,228
limit over 40 mph 6,346 6,361 6,318 6,349 6,292 6,318 6,311 6,310 6,309 6,305 6,270
Total 7,438 7,458 7,459 7,501 7,466 7,493 7,481 7,499 7,504 7,500 7,498
C roads
limit up to 40 mph 1,274 1,276 1,353 1,266 1,576 1,556 1,555 1,582 1,586 1,593 1,621
limit over 40 mph 9,052 9,059 9,065 9,104 9,091 9,102 9,098 9,105 9,104 9,098 9,060
Total 10,325 10,336 10,419 10,371 10,667 10,658 10,653 10,687 10,690 10,691 10,681
Unclassified roads
limit up to 40 mph 14,210 14,399 14,465 14,768 14,573 14,714 14,828 14,856 14,948 15,020 15,097
limit over 40 mph 11,717 11,716 11,683 11,661 11,712 11,726 11,732 11,727 11,732 11,728 11,735
Total 25,927 26,115 26,148 26,429 26,285 26,440 26,560 26,583 26,680 26,748 26,832
All LA minor roads 43,691 43,909 44,026 44,300 44,418 44,591 44,694 44,769 44,873 44,938 45,011
All roads (trunk and LA) 3
Motorways
Excluding slip roads 371 377 392 392 392 390 389 397 420 420 420
Including slip roads 519 525 546 547 547 546 544 558 598 598 600
A, B and C roads
Dual carriageway 5 733 769 773 763 764 766 752 755 781 783 776
Single carriageway 5 27,311 27,332 27,390 27,333 27,634 27,661 27,646 27,737 27,713 27,706 27,639
Total 28,144 28,206 28,274 28,210 28,512 28,546 28,522 28,617 28,620 28,615 28,556
by speed limit:
up to 40 mph 4,042 4,064 4,212 4,138 4,494 4,465 4,467 4,560 4,574 4,586 4,704
over 40 mph 24,102 24,143 24,062 24,073 24,019 24,081 24,054 24,057 24,046 24,029 24,451
Unclassified roads
limit up to 40 mph 14,210 14,399 14,465 14,768 14,573 14,714 14,828 14,856 14,948 15,020 15,097
limit over 40 mph 11,717 11,716 11,683 11,661 11,712 11,726 11,732 11,727 11,732 11,728 11,735
Total 25,927 26,115 26,148 26,429 26,285 26,440 26,560 26,583 26,680 26,748 26,832
All roads 3,4 54,590 54,847 54,968 55,186 55,344 55,532 55,626 55,758 55,898 55,962 55,987

Source: Transport Scotland - Not National Statistics
1. Motorway road lengths are derived from GIS from 2000 onwards - see commentary for more details.
2. Road lengths are physical length rather than carriageway length e.g. 10km of dual carriageway counts as 10km, not 20km.
3. These figures now include A road slip roads which have been excluded from the figures in previous publications. The time series has been updated to include this data resulting in an increase of 3-4% in Trunk road length and an increase in overall road length of 0.2%. The methodology for calculating the trunk road totals from the database has also changed resulting in some small changes to road lengths from those previously published.
4.Trunk road lengths for these roads have now been derived more accurately using a GIS system from 2006.
5. For 2008 and 2009 single and dual carriageways figures are estimated.
6. As at 30 May 2014.
7. Local authority road lengths at the end of the financial year e.g. 2013=2013/14.

Table 4.2 Public road lengths by council area and class, 2014/15
Council Trunk 3 Local Authority 2,5 Total
Motorway 1 Motorway
slips		 A
Roads 		Total A
Roads		 B
Roads		 C
Roads		 Unclass-
ified		 Total
kilometres
Aberdeen City - - 24 24 58 42 93 720 913 937
Aberdeenshire - - 177 177 687 799 1,540 2,460 5,486 5,663
Angus - - 53 53 193 255 489 874 1,810 1,863
Argyll & Bute - - 295 295 505 614 434 730 2,283 2,578
Clackmannanshire - - 1 1 49 34 28 177 288 289
Dumfries & Galloway 59 14 273 346 494 735 1,178 1,752 4,160 4,506
Dundee City - - 18 18 36 17 96 414 563 580
East Ayrshire 11 4 55 70 124 193 211 624 1,152 1,222
East Dunbartonshire - - 54 47 34 369 504 504
East Lothian - - 59 59 95 169 223 444 931 991
East Renfrewshire 9 3 10 22 31 50 83 310 474 496
Edinburgh, City of 15 12 35 61 115 50 118 1,102 1,385 1,446
Eilean Siar - - 340 177 189 486 1,191 1,191
Falkirk 39 13 4 56 114 96 118 641 969 1,025
Fife 16 6 96 117 322 325 352 1,408 2,407 2,524
Glasgow, City of 52 46 2 101 135 64 209 1,396 1,804 1,905
Highland - - 958 958 1,391 978 1,427 2,949 6,744 7,702
Inverclyde - - 28 28 24 23 54 267 367 395
Midlothian - - 35 35 93 100 101 381 675 710
Moray - - 97 97 157 296 363 737 1,553 1,650
North Ayrshire - - 68 68 101 155 207 572 1,035 1,103
North Lanarkshire 4 42 19 25 86 147 144 246 1,030 1,567 1,653
Orkney Islands - - 161 205 160 458 984 984
Perth & Kinross 39 13 206 259 435 367 638 1,044 2,483 2,742
Renfrewshire 18 11 26 55 65 62 140 554 821 876
Scottish Borders - - 140 140 459 599 768 1,141 2,968 3,108
Shetland Islands - - 225 162 199 465 1,049 1,049
South Ayrshire - - 92 92 108 208 232 620 1,167 1,259
South Lanarkshire 65 20 54 139 280 248 440 1,328 2,295 2,434
Stirling 21 6 116 143 212 161 170 471 1,015 1,158
West Dunbartonshire - - 23 23 46 8 27 269 350 373
West Lothian 33 12 - 46 152 117 116 641 1,026 1,072
Total 420 180 2,970 3,570 7,406 7,498 10,681 26,832 52,417 55,987
percentages
Aberdeen City - - 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.9 2.7 1.7 1.7
Aberdeenshire - - 5.9 4.9 9.3 10.7 14.4 9.2 10.5 10.1
Angus - - 1.8 1.5 2.6 3.4 4.6 3.3 3.5 3.3
Argyll & Bute - - 9.9 8.3 6.8 8.2 4.1 2.7 4.4 4.6
Clackmannanshire - - - 0.0 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.7 0.6 0.5
Dumfries & Galloway 14.1 8.0 9.2 9.7 6.7 9.8 11.0 6.5 7.9 8.0
Dundee City - - 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.2 0.9 1.5 1.1 1.0
East Ayrshire 2.5 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.7 2.6 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.2
East Dunbartonshire - - - 0.0 0.7 0.6 0.3 1.4 1.0 0.9
East Lothian - - 2.0 1.7 1.3 2.3 2.1 1.7 1.8 1.8
East Renfrewshire 2.2 1.6 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.7 0.8 1.2 0.9 0.9
Edinburgh, City of 3.5 6.4 1.2 1.7 1.6 0.7 1.1 4.1 2.6 2.6
Eilean Siar - - - 0.0 4.6 2.4 1.8 1.8 2.3 2.1
Falkirk 9.4 7.4 0.1 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.1 2.4 1.8 1.8
Fife 3.7 3.2 3.2 3.3 4.3 4.3 3.3 5.2 4.6 4.5
Glasgow, City of 12.4 25.8 0.1 2.8 1.8 0.8 2.0 5.2 3.4 3.4
Highland - - 32.3 26.8 18.8 13.0 13.4 11.0 12.9 13.8
Inverclyde - - 0.9 0.8 0.3 0.3 0.5 1.0 0.7 0.7
Midlothian - - 1.2 1.0 1.3 1.3 0.9 1.4 1.3 1.3
Moray - - 3.3 2.7 2.1 4.0 3.4 2.7 3.0 2.9
North Ayrshire - - 2.3 1.9 1.4 2.1 1.9 2.1 2.0 2.0
North Lanarkshire 10.0 10.8 0.8 2.4 2.0 1.9 2.3 3.8 3.0 3.0
Orkney Islands - - - 0.0 2.2 2.7 1.5 1.7 1.9 1.8
Perth & Kinross 9.2 7.5 7.0 7.2 5.9 4.9 6.0 3.9 4.7 4.9
Renfrewshire 4.4 5.9 0.9 1.5 0.9 0.8 1.3 2.1 1.6 1.6
Scottish Borders - - 4.7 3.9 6.2 8.0 7.2 4.3 5.7 5.6
Shetland Islands - - - 0.0 3.0 2.2 1.9 1.7 2.0 1.9
South Ayrshire - - 3.1 2.6 1.5 2.8 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2
South Lanarkshire 15.5 10.9 1.8 3.9 3.8 3.3 4.1 4.9 4.4 4.3
Stirling 5.1 3.5 3.9 4.0 2.9 2.1 1.6 1.8 1.9 2.1
West Dunbartonshire - - 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.1 0.3 1.0 0.7 0.7
West Lothian 8.0 6.8 - 1.3 2.1 1.6 1.1 2.4 2.0 1.9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Source: Transport Scotland - Not National Statistics
1. Motorway road lengths have been consolidated using a GIS system which means that there will be some changes to previously published figures.
2. Triangulation with other sources of road length data has occurred to improve the quality of the information. Figures may not be comparable with previous editions.
3. As at 30 May 2014.
4. The drop in the length of trunk A roads from last year is probably due to the detrunking of A80 with the opening of the M80.
5. Local authority road lengths at the end of the financial year.

Table 4.3 Trunk road constructed/re-surfaced etc
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 (prov)
Equivalent road lane length lane-kilometres (estimated)
New roads
constructed/opened 89 108 7 - 58 - 52 132 - 19 3
Reconstructed 105 142 114 80 56 51 27 57 1 9 7
Strengthened 256 280 324 170 194 213 239 168 338 360 301
Surface dressed 121 66 88 79 123 30 35 10 21 11 6
Total 571 596 533 329 431 294 353 367 360 399 317
Percentages of total percentages
New roads
constructed/opened 16 18 1 - 13 - 15 36 - 5 1
Reconstructed 1 18 24 21 24 13 17 8 16 0 2 2
Strengthened 45 47 61 52 45 72 68 46 94 90 95
Surface dressed 21 11 17 24 29 10 10 3 6 3 2
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

Source: Transport Scotland - Not National Statistics

Table 4.4 (a) Trunk road constructed/re-surfaced etc, by unit, 2013-14
Unit New road constructed for traffic Reconstructed Strengthened Surface Dressed Total
Equivalent road lane length lane-kilometres (estimated)
NW - 2 102 5 109
NE - 0 107 3 110
SW 19 4 85 1 109
SE - 3 91 2 96
Total 19 9 385 11 424
Percentages of total percentages
NW - 29 34 83 34
NE - - 36 50 35
SW 633 57 28 17 34
SE - 43 30 33 30
Total 633 129 128 183 134

Source: Transport Scotland - Not National Statistics

Table 4.4 (b) Trunk road constructed/re-surfaced etc, by unit, 2014-15 (provisional)
Unit New road constructed for traffic Reconstructed Strengthened Surface Dressed Total
Equivalent road lane length lane-kilometres (estimated)
NW 3 3 92 4 102
NE - 0 46 0.5 46.5
SW 1 - 4 78 0.5 83
SE 1 - 0 85 1 86
Total 3 7 301 6 317
Percentages of total percentages
NW 100 43 31 67 32
NE - - 15 8 15
SW - 57 26 8 26
SE - - 28 17 27
Total 100 100 100 100 100

Source: Transport Scotland - Not National Statistics

Table 4.5 Trunk road network: Residual Life1 (years)
(a) Residual Life of Pavements (i.e. road surface) as percentage of whole network
Residual Life (years)
<0 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 >19
percentages
1997-98 11 8 11 8 8 54
1998-99 10 9 9 8 7 57
1999-00 10 8 10 9 10 53
2000-01 9 7 9 8 8 59
2001-02 4 4 7 7 10 68
2002-03 4 4 7 7 11 67
2003-04 4 4 6 7 12 67
2004-05 4 5 6 7 13 65
2005-06 4 4 6 7 15 63
2006-07 5 4 6 7 15 63
2007-08 4 4 7 7 13 65
2008-09 4 4 6 7 11 68
2009-10 5 5 7 8 11 64
2010-11
 5
 4
 6
 7
 9
 69
2011-122 10 7 10 10 11 52
2012-13 13 8 10 10 12 46
2013-14 14 8 10 9 11 49
2014-154 13 7 9 9 12 50

Source: Transport Scotland - Not National Statistics

(b) The proportion of the motorway/dual and single carriageway trunk road network, which require close monitoring 3
Motorways Dual carriageways Single carriageways
Requires
close
monitoring
%		 Requires
close
monitoring
%		 Requires
close
monitoring
%
2002-03 7.5 5.2
2003-04 9.0 5.1
2004-05 9.2 3.9
2005-06 6.7 3.2
2006-07 6.1 2.7
2007-08 8.2 3.9
2008-09 4.3 4.1
2009-10 6.3 5.5 3.7
2010-11
 6.2
 3.4
 4.2
2011-122 12.9 9.1 10.3
2012-13 23.1 13.3 11.6
2013-14 23.4 15.0 10.3
2014-154 22.9 10.4 11.3

Source: Transport Scotland - Not National Statistics
1. Residual life represents the number of years to elapse before the pavement reaches the stage when it may be necessary to undertake relatively more expensive reconstruction rather than strengthening to restore its full life.
2 Method of calculation changed in 2011-12.
3. The part of the network that requires close monitoring is that which has a residual life of less than zero.
Note: it has been decided that surveyed network length is not required as the figures produced are now representative of the whole network as shown in Table 4.1
4. These figures are provisional.

Table 4.6 Local authority road network condition 1, 2
A roads B roads C roads Unclassified All roads
Condition Condition Condition Condition Condition
Red Amber Red Amber Red Amber Red Amber Red Amber
(a) in each Council area: 2014-15 percentage
Aberdeen City 2 17 3 20 3 19 4 23 4 22
Aberdeenshire 3 21 2 20 4 19 6 23 4 21
Angus 2 18 6 29 7 24 6 24 6 24
Argyll & Bute 11 35 21 43 20 41 15 38 17 39
Clackmannanshire 4 26 4 29 7 34 9 34 7 32
Dumfries & Galloway 6 30 7 29 12 35 23 38 15 34
Dundee City 2 15 1 21 2 15 6 26 5 23
East Ayrshire 4 21 6 31 11 34 10 34 9 32
East Dunbartonshire 6 25 4 25 5 27 11 34 9 32
East Lothian 4 28 5 31 4 27 4 27 4 28
East Renfrewshire 3 21 4 29 8 28 8 34 8 32
Edinburgh, City of 5 25 3 24 6 27 7 30 6 29
Eilean Siar 10 32 11 33 9 45 9 39 9 37
Falkirk 3 25 6 31 8 30 5 29 5 29
Fife 5 25 6 31 5 27 5 29 5 29
Glasgow, City of 5 24 3 21 3 20 6 29 6 27
Highland 3 22 7 28 12 30 10 29 9 28
Inverclyde 5 28 5 33 10 37 12 36 11 35
Midlothian 3 19 3 22 4 28 6 29 5 26
Moray 2 18 1 17 3 20 5 28 4 23
North Ayrshire 9 26 6 29 13 38 7 30 8 31
North Lanarkshire 2 20 4 25 4 25 6 31 5 28
Orkney Islands 2 16 2 17 2 12 4 21 3 18
Perth & Kinross 7 31 5 30 6 28 7 27 7 29
Renfrewshire 4 23 5 25 12 27 8 31 8 29
Scottish Borders 4 27 6 33 8 34 16 42 10 36
Shetland Islands 2 19 10 29 7 31 18 37 11 31
South Ayrshire 8 34 11 39 15 35 10 32 11 34
South Lanarkshire 2 19 2 20 7 32 8 29 6 27
Stirling 5 26 8 33 11 33 15 35 11 32
West Dunbartonshire 3 22 4 23 14 28 6 30 6 28
West Lothian 1 15 4 22 8 35 3 21 3 22
Scotland 5 24 7 29 9 29 9 30 8 29
(b) for Scotland as a whole: 2005-06 to 2014-15 (New RCI Series) 2
2005-06 4 27 4 28 4 31 .. .. .. ..
2006-07 4 29 4 29 4 32 .. .. .. ..
2007-08 5 29 6 34 5 33 .. .. .. ..
2008-09 5 28 5 34 5 33 7 37 6 34
2009-10 6 30 6 35 5 33 8 39 7 36
2010-11 6 30 7 36 7 35 10 42 8 38
2011-12 6 30 8 36 8 36 8 38 8 36
2012-13 5 24 7 28 7 28 9 30 7 29
2013-14 5 24 7 28 8 28 9 30 8 29
2014-15 5 24 7 29 9 29 9 30 8 29
(b) for Scotland as a whole: 2002-03 3 to 2007-08 (Old SPI Series)
2002-03 4 9 37 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
2003-04 7 33 12 45 8 37 18 52 13 45
2004-05 5 6 31 10 43 5 31 15 50 11 42
2005-06 6 31 9 40 4 29 14 51 10 42
2006-07 6 34 11 35 5 29 18 57 13 47
2007-08 6 34 10 46 6 36 16 53 12 46

Source: Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey - Not National Statistics
1. From 2007-08 the basis of the statutory road performance indicator in Scotland changed to the UK Standard RCI.
2. While it has been possible, following the change to the indicator, to calculate the equivalent RCI value for all classified roads from 2005-06, it has not been possible to do this in a reliable manner for unclassified roads, owing to a lack of cracking data for those years. As unclassified roads represent a significant part of the total road network, RCI data for the network is similarly not available for this period. It is important to note that owing to the different formulation, no valid comparison can or should be made between the two series
3. The categories used to indicate the condition of the road are in brief: amber - further investigation should be undertaken to establish if treatment is required red - the road has deteriorated to the point at which it is likely repairs to prolong its future life should be undertaken.
4. Information for 2002-03 is available only for A roads.
5. The SPI figures for Scotland in 2004-05 exclude Glasgow, as the survey in Glasgow was undertaken on a different basis in that year