Inspections and response times

Salford City Council has a defined a hierarchy for the adopted carriageways, footways and cycle tracks based on their strategic importance, traffic flow and other local considerations.

Walked safety inspections are carried out as an individually identified process. This ensures that designated inspectors focus on individual defects.

The defined operational processes seek to take into account the safety of all highway users whilst at the same time retaining an awareness of the constraints placed upon the Authority by defined and limited budgets.

The number of programmed inspections the council carries out per year relates to the road location and classification and risk, in accordance with the recommendations of the Well Managed Highway Infrastructure Document.

Inspections can either be walked or driven. Since it is considered impractical to carry out driven inspections within an urban environment, all inspections within Salford are carried out on foot even though it is a more rigorous and time consuming technique.

Inspection frequencies

Carriageway inspections 

Highway groups CoP hierarchy Safety inspection frequency (per annum)
Classified principal roads Category 2 strategic routes 4
Classified principal roads Category 3a main distributor 4
Classified non principal roads Category 3b secondary distributors 4
Unclassified roads Category 4a link roads 2
Unclassified roads Category 4b local access roads 1

All safety inspections are recorded on hand held data capture devices. Inspections are carried out on foot, first walking down one side of the footway, inspecting the highway up to the centreline of the carriageway, and then carrying out a similar process on the opposite side of the highway. Any identified defects falling within prescribed investigatory criteria are to be subject to a risk assessment in accordance with the Code of Practice and subject to the outcome of that risk assessment an order may follow to make safe and/or repair within prescribed response times. Any defects made temporarily safe within two hours will be subject to a permanent repair within 28 days thereafter.

Footway inspections

Highway groups CoP hierarchy Safety inspection frequency (per annum)
Classified principal roads Category 1a prestige walking zone 12
Classified principal roads Category 1 primary walking routes 12
Classified principal roads Category 2 secondary walking 4
Classified non-principal roads Category 1a prestige walking zones 12
Classified non-principal roads Category 1 primary walking routes 4
Classified non-principal roads Category 2 secondary walking routes 4
Unclassified roads Category 1a prestige walking zone 12
Unclassified roads Category 1 primary walking routes 12
Unclassified roads Category 2 secondary walking routes 4
Unclassified roads Category 3 link footways 2
Unclassified roads Category 4 local access footways 1
Alleyways/passageways   0*

*inspected upon requests for service

Cycle track inspections

Highway groups CoP hierarchy Safety inspection frequency (per annum)
Classified principal roads Category A carriageway 4
Classified principal roads Category B footway 4
Classified non-principal roads Category A carriageway 4
Classified non-principal roads Category B footway 4
Unclassified roads Category A carriageway 2
Unclassified roads Category B footway 2
Unclassified roads Category C off highway 0
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