Damage to trunk roads

Scottish Ministers make claims when someone has caused an accident or incident on a trunk road that results in, for example, damage to the road, signs or barriers.

Bridge struck by a lorry

Scottish Ministers, through Transport Scotland working with the Operating Companies, will seek to recover all costs of repairing damage to the road network where that damage has been caused by the fault of a third party.

Transport Scotland is responsible for managing Scotland’s trunk road network on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. We have contracts in place with three Operating Companies who manage and maintain the trunk road and motorway network on our behalf.

The Operating Companies are responsible for repairing damage to the road or road furniture and for recovering repair and other costs where those are estimated at £10,000 or less.

The Operating Companies are required to notify us of all accidents on the road network:

• which result in damage to the road or road furniture and the sum involved is estimated to exceed £10,000; or 
• where the Operating Company considers that it will be unable to effect recovery of the costs of damage.

We will consider this report soon after the incident or accident occurs and decide whether and how recovery of such losses should be pursued.

In all cases of accidents which results in damage to damage to the road, signs, barriers or structures/bridges, the Operating Company will notify us immediately.