Road maintenance is becoming both more expensive, and more urgent

A Government briefing document -- released to our newsroom under the Official Information Act -- shows road repair costs have gone up 50 percent in six years.

Drainage renewal costs have gone up 350 percent.

Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says costs have been rising, at the same time roads have been degrading.

He says weather in the past couple of years has wrecked the roading system even more.