Chapter 4: Road Network

Chapter 4: Road Network

Infographic Chapter 4: 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, page 247.

Key Points

  • Scotland has 56,591 km of road network.
  • Seven per cent is trunk road (1% is motorway).
  • Scotland has 10.4 km of road per 1,000 people compared to 6.2 km in GB.

2. Main Points

Road length

2.1 There were 56,591 kilometres of public road in Scotland at 31 March 2019. The trunk road network accounted for 7% 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 2017 and April 2018.  (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 an increase of 17% in the amount of trunk road that was newly constructed, reconstructed, strengthened or surface dressed in 2018-19 compared to the previous year. (Table 4.3)

2.5 In 2018-19, 14.5% of the motorway network, 9.2% of the dual carriageway and 10.7% of the single carriageway trunk road network required close monitoring of the state of the road surface.  (Table 4.5 (b))

2.6 In 2018-19 the National Road Condition Indicator (RCI) showed 30% of the local authority A road network may, following more detailed examination, require some kind of maintenance (see the Notes and Definitions section, page 247). For the whole of the local authority network (all road categories), about 36% may similarly require some kind of maintenance. (Table 4.6)

 

Table 4.1: Public road lengths by class, type and speed limit 1,2
  2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Trunk roads 3, 6
Motorways Kilometres
Excluding slip roads 392  390  389  396  420  420  420  420  440  449  449 
Including slip roads 547  546  544  558  599  599  600  601  632  645  645 
A roads
Dual carriageway 521  523  523  511  500  500  504  504  505  510  554 
Single carriageway 2,323  2,332  2,327  2,282  2,279  2,274  2,326  2,326  2,327  2,320  2,310 
Other inc slips/roundabout 114  119  123  185  188  191  208  208  204  205  226 
Total 2,958  2,974  2,974  2,978  2,968  2,966  3,037  3,037  3,036  3,036  3,090 
by speed limit:
up to 40 mph 229  226  233  235  237  237  243  243  245  248  241 
over 40 mph 2,730  2,748  2,740  3,302  3,330  3,328  3,395  3,395  3,424  3,433  3,494 
All trunk roads 3,4 3,505  3,520  3,518  3,536  3,566  3,565  3,637  3,638  3,669  3,681  3,735 
Local Authority major roads 7
Motorways
Excluding slip roads -  -  -    -  -  -  -  -  -  -  - 
Including slip roads -  -  -    -  -  -  -  -  -  -  - 
A roads
Dual carriageway 5 243  243  229  232 268 270 272 272 272 271 271
Single carriageway 5 7,178  7,178  7,185  7,235 7,204 7,203 7,134 7,142 7,146 7,156 7,230
Total 7,421  7,421  7,414  7,467 7,473 7,473 7,406 7,414 7,418 7,427 7,500
by speed limit:
up to 40 mph 1,515  1,508  1,509  1,559  1,567  1,572  1,616  1,621  1,630  1,642  1,691 
over 40 mph 5,906  5,913  5,905  5,907  5,906  5,901  5,791  5,792  5,788  5,785  5,809 
All LA major roads4 7,421  7,421  7,414  7,467  7,473  7,473  7,406  7,414  7,418  7,427  7,500 
Local Authority minor roads 7
B roads
limit up to 40 mph 1,174  1,176  1,170  1,189  1,194  1,194  1,228  1,226  1,230  1,235  1,241 
limit over 40 mph 6,292  6,318  6,311  6,310  6,309  6,305  6,270  6,276  6,268  6,255  6,266 
Total  7,466  7,493  7,481  7,499  7,504  7,500  7,498  7,502  7,498  7,491  7,506 
C roads
limit up to 40 mph 1,576  1,556  1,555  1,582  1,586  1,593  1,621  1,653  1,658  1,658  1,666 
limit over 40 mph 9,091  9,102  9,098  9,105  9,104  9,098  9,060  9,051  9,045  9,043  9,021 
Total  10,667  10,658  10,653  10,687  10,690  10,691  10,681  10,703  10,703  10,701  10,687 
Unclassified roads
limit up to 40 mph 14,573  14,714  14,828  14,856  14,948  15,020  15,097  15,198  15,273  15,379  15,465 
limit over 40 mph 11,712  11,726  11,732  11,727  11,732  11,728  11,735  11,696  11,688  11,686  11,697 
Total  26,285  26,440  26,560  26,583  26,680  26,748  26,832  26,895  26,962  27,065  27,162 
All LA minor roads 44,418  44,591  44,694  44,769  44,873  44,938  45,011  45,100  45,163  45,257  45,355 
All roads (trunk and LA) 3
Motorways
Excluding slip roads 392  390  389  396  420  420  420  420  440  449  449 
Including slip roads 547  546  544  558  599  599  600  601  632  645  645 
A, B and C roads
Dual carriageway 5 764  766  752  742  768  770  776  775  776  781  824 
Single carriageway 5 27,634  27,661  27,646  27,703  27,677  27,667  27,639  27,674  27,675  27,668  27,733 
Total 28,512  28,546  28,522  28,630  28,633  28,629  28,623  28,656  28,656  28,654  28,784 
by speed limit:
up to 40 mph 4,494  4,465  4,467  4,565  4,584  4,595  4,708  4,743  4,763  4,783  4,839 
over 40 mph 24,019  24,081  24,054  24,624  24,648  24,632  24,515  24,515  24,525  24,516  24,590 
Unclassified roads
limit up to 40 mph 14,573  14,714  14,828  14,856  14,948  15,020  15,097  15,198  15,273  15,379  15,465 
limit over 40 mph 11,712  11,726  11,732  11,727  11,732  11,728  11,735  11,696  11,688  11,686  11,697 
Total 26,285  26,440  26,560  26,583  26,680  26,748  26,832  26,895  26,962  27,065  27,162 
All roads 3,4 55,344  55,532  55,626  55,772  55,912  55,975  56,054  56,152  56,250  56,364  56,591 

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, 2018/19
Council Trunk 3 Local Authority 2,5 Total
Motorway 1 Motorway slips A Roads Total A Roads B Roads  C Roads Unclassified Total
  kilometres
Aberdeen City   -  -  36  36  103  42  93  727    964  1,000 
Aberdeenshire   -  -  235  235  688  814  1,548  2,514  5,563  5,798 
Angus   -  -  54  54  193  255    489  879  1,815  1,868 
Argyll & Bute   -  -  296  296  505  614    434  733  2,286  2,582 
Clackmannanshire    -  -  3  3  49  34  28  180    292  295 
Dumfries & Galloway 59  14  279  352  494  735  1,178  1,774  4,182  4,534 
Dundee City   -  -  19  19  36  17  96  422    571  590 
East Ayrshire 11  4  56  70  124  193    211  630  1,158  1,228 
East Dunbartonshire     -  -  57  47  34  382    520  520 
East Lothian   -  -  59  59  124  169    200  444    937  997 
East Renfrewshire 9  3  10  22  31  50  83  320    484  506 
Edinburgh, City of 19  14  34  67  135  52    119  1,113  1,419  1,486 
Eilean Siar     -  -  340  177    189  486  1,191  1,191 
Falkirk 39  14  5  58  114  96    118  655    984  1,041 
Fife 20  8  96  124  322  325    352  1,441  2,439  2,563 
Glasgow, City of 55  50  3  108  135  64    209  1,421  1,829  1,936 
Highland   -  -  960  960  1,400  970  1,440  2,942  6,752  7,712 
Inverclyde   -  -  28  28  24  23  54  270    370  398 
Midlothian   -  -  39  39  93  100    101  395    689  728 
Moray   -  -  98  98  157  296    366  739  1,559  1,657 
North Ayrshire   -  -  73  73  101  155    207  577  1,040  1,113 
North Lanarkshire 4 59  25  19  103  147  143    244  1,042  1,575  1,678 
Orkney Islands     -  -  161  205    160  459    985  985 
Perth & Kinross 39  14  208  260  435  367    638  1,063  2,503  2,763 
Renfrewshire 18  10  26  55  65  62    140  559    826  881 
Scottish Borders   -  -  167  167  459  599    769  1,149  2,976  3,143 
Shetland Islands     -  -  225  162    199  465  1,050  1,050 
South Ayrshire   -  -  93  93  108  209    232  628  1,176  1,269 
South Lanarkshire 65  21  56  142  268  247    444  1,313  2,271  2,413 
Stirling 21  6  116  144  212  161    171  474  1,017  1,161 
West Dunbartonshire   -  -  23  23  46  8  27  297    378  401 
West Lothian 35  13  -  47  152  117    116  670  1,055  1,102 
Total 449  196  3,090  3,735  7,500  7,506    10,687  27,162  52,856  56,591 
  percentages
Aberdeen City - - 1.2 1.0 1.4 0.6 0.9 2.7 1.8 1.8
Aberdeenshire - - 7.6 6.3 9.2 10.8 14.5 9.3 10.5 10.2
Angus - - 1.7 1.4 2.6 3.4 4.6 3.2 3.4 3.3
Argyll & Bute - - 9.6 7.9 6.7 8.2 4.1 2.7 4.3 4.6
Clackmannanshire  - - - 0.1 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.7 0.6 0.5
Dumfries & Galloway 13.1 7.4 9.0 9.4 6.6 9.8 11.0 6.5 7.9 8.0
Dundee City - - 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.2 0.9 1.6 1.1 1.0
East Ayrshire 2.4 1.9 1.8 1.9 1.7 2.6 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.2
East Dunbartonshire - - - 0.0 0.8 0.6 0.3 1.4 1.0 0.9
East Lothian - - 1.9 1.6 1.7 2.3 1.9 1.6 1.8 1.8
East Renfrewshire 2.1 1.4 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.7 0.8 1.2 0.9 0.9
Edinburgh, City of 4.2 7.0 1.1 1.8 1.8 0.7 1.1 4.1 2.7 2.6
Eilean Siar - - - 0.0 4.5 2.4 1.8 1.8 2.3 2.1
Falkirk 8.7 7.0 0.2 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.1 2.4 1.9 1.8
Fife 4.5 4.1 3.1 3.3 4.3 4.3 3.3 5.3 4.6 4.5
Glasgow, City of 12.1 25.6 0.1 2.9 1.8 0.8 2.0 5.2 3.5 3.4
Highland - - 31.1 25.7 18.7 12.9 13.5 10.8 12.8 13.6
Inverclyde - - 0.9 0.8 0.3 0.3 0.5 1.0 0.7 0.7
Midlothian - - 1.2 1.0 1.2 1.3 0.9 1.5 1.3 1.3
Moray - - 3.2 2.6 2.1 3.9 3.4 2.7 2.9 2.9
North Ayrshire - - 2.4 2.0 1.3 2.1 1.9 2.1 2.0 2.0
North Lanarkshire 13.1 13.0 0.6 2.8 2.0 1.9 2.3 3.8 3.0 3.0
Orkney Islands - - - 0.0 2.1 2.7 1.5 1.7 1.9 1.7
Perth & Kinross 8.6 7.1 6.7 7.0 5.8 4.9 6.0 3.9 4.7 4.9
Renfrewshire 4.1 5.3 0.8 1.5 0.9 0.8 1.3 2.1 1.6 1.6
Scottish Borders - - 5.4 4.5 6.1 8.0 7.2 4.2 5.6 5.6
Shetland Islands - - - 0.0 3.0 2.2 1.9 1.7 2.0 1.9
South Ayrshire - - 3.0 2.5 1.4 2.8 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2
South Lanarkshire 14.5 10.5 1.8 3.8 3.6 3.3 4.2 4.8 4.3 4.3
Stirling 4.8 3.2 3.8 3.8 2.8 2.1 1.6 1.7 1.9 2.1
West Dunbartonshire - - 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.1 0.3 1.1 0.7 0.7
West Lothian 7.7 6.5 - 1.3 2.0 1.6 1.1 2.5 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 2016.

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
  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 2010-11  2011-12  2012-13 2013-14  2014-15  2015-16  2016-17  2017-18 2018-19 (prov)
Equivalent road lane length lane-kilometres (estimated)
New roads
constructed/opened -  58  -  52  132    -  18  3  3    0.5  86  123 
Reconstructed 80  56  51  27  57  1    9  7  -  1  1  1 
Strengthened 170  194  213  239  168    338  360  365  367  428  457  538 
Surface dressed 79  123  30  35  10  21  11  14  8  29  33    16 
Total 329  431  294  353  367    360  398  389  378  459  577  678 
Percentages of total  percentages 
New roads
constructed/opened -  13  -  15  36    -    5  1  1  0  15    18 
Reconstructed 1 24  13  17  8  16  0    2  2  -  0  0  0 
Strengthened 52  45  72  68  46  94  90  94    97  93  79    79 
Surface dressed 24  29  10  10    3  6    3  4  2  6  6  2 
Total 100  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, 2017-18
Unit New road constructed for traffic Reconstructed Strengthened Surface Dressed Total
Equivalent road lane length lane-kilometres (estimated)
NW -  -  155 6 161
NE 113 8  68 8 197
SW 10 0  116 14 140
SE -  -  115 6 121
FBOC -  -  3 0 3
Total 123  9  457 34 622
Percentages of total percentages
NW - - 34 18 26
NE 92 95 15 24 32
SW 8 5 25 41 23
SE - - 25 18 19
FBOC - - 1 - 0
Total 100 100 100 100 100

Source: Transport Scotland - Not National Statistics

Table 4.4 (b): Trunk road constructed/re-surfaced etc, by unit, 2018-19 (provisional)
Unit New road constructed for traffic Reconstructed Strengthened Surface Dressed Total
Equivalent road lane length lane-kilometres (estimated)
NW -  -  192 3 195
NE 30 1  70 5 106
SW 1 56 -  144 7 207
SE 1 -  -  132 1 133
FBOC -  -  -  -  - 
Total 86  1  538 16 641
Percentages of total percentages
NW - - 36 19 30
NE 35 100 13 31 17
SW 65 - 27 44 32
SE - - 25 6 21
FBOC - - - - -
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
2014-15 13 7 9 9 12 50
2015-16 12 9 9 9 13 48
2016-174 12 9 9 9 12 49
2017-184 11 9 9 9 12 51
2018-194 11 9 9 9 12 51
Operating Company Areas 2018-19 4
Forth Bridges Unit 16 7 8 6 14 47
North West Unit 12 8 9 9 11 51
North East Unit 12 12 12 11 10 42
South East Unit 9 9 9 8 12 53
South West Unit 9 6 8 7 13 57
(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
2014-15 22.9 10.4 11.3
2015-16 21.5 9.8 10.5
2016-174 16.9 10.7 11.5
2017-184 13.4 8.6 11.3
2018-194 14.5 9.2 10.7
Operating Company Areas 2018-19 4
Forth Bridges Unit 17.7 8.8 -  
North West Unit -   12.1 11.6
North East Unit 14.1 9.24 14.8
South East Unit 17.1 6.35 4.86
South West Unit 20.4 8.78 8.8

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:  2018-19 percentage
Aberdeen City 4 21 3 18 4 22 5 27 5 25
Aberdeenshire 3 24 3 22 3 20 5 26 4 23
Angus 3 24 6 32 5 27 6 28 5 28
Argyll & Bute 9 33 21 42 19 41 16 36 16 38
Clackmannanshire  2 22 2 20 5 26 7 33 5 29
Dumfries & Galloway 5 29 6 30 11 36 18 39 12 35
Dundee City 2 19 2 21 1 13 4 26 4 23
East Ayrshire 3 18 5 28 9 32 11 32 9 30
East Dunbartonshire 4 23 3 23 4 23 6 30 6 28
East Lothian 4 28 7 36 4 30 5 28 5 30
East Renfrewshire 2 15 4 26 8 26 10 34 8 31
Edinburgh, City of 4 24 3 20 6 27 7 32 7 30
Eilean Siar 7 28 6 32 8 42 7 40 7 36
Falkirk 3 23 5 30 6 30 6 32 6 30
Fife 5 26 6 29 4 28 4 28 4 28
Glasgow, City of  3 26 2 18 2 18 4 27 4 25
Highland 4 25 6 30 10 31 11 31 9 30
Inverclyde 2 17 3 26 10 33 8 31 7 30
Midlothian 4 23 5 28 6 32 6 31 6 30
Moray 3 25 2 23 4 24 5 26 4 25
North Ayrshire 8 29 7 33 12 37 6 28 7 31
North Lanarkshire 2 16 3 20 3 23 5 30 4 26
Orkney Islands 2 22 3 20 2 13 1 18 2 19
Perth & Kinross 7 30 5 31 5 29 6 31 6 30
Renfrewshire 3 20 2 22 10 28 7 30 7 28
Scottish Borders 6 32 8 37 6 34 11 41 9 37
Shetland Islands 1 16 7 29 3 29 8 39 6 30
South Ayrshire 6 30 7 31 9 33 9 33 8 33
South Lanarkshire 3 21 3 22 6 31 5 28 4 27
Stirling 4 25 6 32 8 32 16 34 10 31
West Dunbartonshire 4 25 2 20 5 28 5 30 5 29
West Lothian 2 19 4 26 11 36 4 25 4 26
Scotland 4 26 6 29 7 29 8 31 7 29
(b) for Scotland as a whole:  2005-06  to 2018-19 (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
2015-16 4 25 6 29 6 28 9 31 7 29
2016-17 4 25 6 29 6 28 9 31 7 29
2017-18 4 26 6 29 7 29 8 31 7 30
2018-19 4 26 6 29 7 29 8 31 7 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 Road Condition Indicator.

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.