Address aging infrastructure to confront climate change and safety risks says Institution of Civil Engineers

Delaying investment in the UK's transport network and water infrastructure could have safety and supply implications for the UK, according to the Institution of Civil Engineers.  

The State of the Nation report, Infrastructure in 2025, published on 30 January, focuses on three key areas that need strategic investment and long-term planning: transport, energy, and water.  

It draws on the technical insights of its global membership to identify some important themes.  

First, the impact of climate change on the UK’s aging infrastructure is accelerating and exacerbating issues. Delaying investment in the transport network and water infrastructure could have safety and supply implications. 

Second, if anything is to improve, decision makers and industry must work together to end the cycle of short termism. Long-term plans must be agreed, committed to, and delivered.  

Third, the engineering community must acknowledge the public’s frustration with challenges like the sewage overflow problem and improve communication, transparency, and trust. 

Professor Jim Hall, ICE President, said:

"Now is the time to establish a clear vision of how infrastructure can contribute to a better future for the UK. We need real prioritisation and long-term strategic thinking, and we need to apply creative solutions to the challenges we face. All this needs to be supported by committed investment."

Key considerations for each area include: 

To improve the transport system, prioritise maintenance  

Climate change, lack of maintenance, supply chain challenges, and the skills gap are creating a ‘perfect storm’ for UK’s transport infrastructure, and the network is aging badly. 

The report calls on ICE members to be open about the risks of aging assets and to help decision makers understand what choosing not to invest could mean.  

In a stark assessment, it states: Parts of the network are perhaps not as safe as the public thinks while some structures should have usage restrictions, but don’t.  

The report highlights the importance of initiatives like bridge near-miss reporting campaign run by the Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures UK (CROSS-UK) in raising awareness about the importance of maintenance and improving infrastructure’s resilience.