Balancing and effective long term asset managment strategy with affordability is one of the key challenges, explains David Brewer, network development and delivery director at Highways England 

"One of the key challenges in my role is to strike the right balance between short term cash pressures and long term value for money," Brewer told the ACOonAir Highways Hangout at the recent Highways UK event.

"We have got a framework set up with ORR, our regulator, which alows us to claim lifecycle efficincies as efficiencies so that it is not just about cash at the front end," he added.

"However, despite the fact that we have a secure funding line for maintenance and renewal at the right level we still find that on occasion we have to make compromises. We are trying to make sure that those compromises are conscious and that we are very deliberate about the choices we make."