Potholes caused by the recent severe weather conditions are appearing across the country’s road network, prompting fears of soaring highway maintenance costs.
The worst conditions in up to 27 years have left roads exposed to ‘freeze-thaw’, which damages the roads in wet and freezing conditions. Water in cracks expands into ice, causing the surface of the road to break up and deeper-than-usual potholes.
The problem in urban areas is exacerbated by damage caused by reinstatement of utility trenches. CSS Research identified that the long-term integrity of the road surface has been severely affected by these works, and advocated that utilities pay the full cost of this damage. Around £48M was spent last year by councils in England fixing more than 750,000 potholes, but the Local Government Association fears this year’s cost could be much higher.
Matthew Lugg, chair of the CSS engineering committee, said: ‘While it will take time to assess the true extent of the damage, we do know local highways teams will have to prioritise the resources needed to make immediate repairs.
‘We are advising our members that the worst-affected roads must take priority, but some stretches will need more extensive resurfacing, and that will take time.’
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