County deluged by potholes with 200 filled in daily (From Bromsgrove Advertiser)
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County deluged by potholes with 200 filled in daily
7:00am Thursday 7th March 2013 in News
Potholes are springing up all over Worcestershire
Potholes are springing up all over Worcestershire
ALMOST 200 potholes are being repaired every day across Worcestershire after the harsh winter battered county roads.
Snow, ice and rain has wrecked large swathes of the highways network, leaving a number of holes and cracks for drivers to negotiate.
New figures show the county council has repaired 4,294 potholes since the turn of the year, with workers dealing with 200 daily.
Bosses say the cold weather since last November led to “an inevitable increase” in defects, particularly in rural areas where freezing temperatures have been fairly common.
They are still appealing for residents to report potholes as and when they are found.
The authority says more and more people are using an app and the council’s website to pass on details of defects.
Councillor John Smith, the cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “The weather conditions this winter have certainly brought some challenges and pothole numbers are higher than the last couple of years.
“Unfortunately, this is inevitable but it's really good to see how many people are taking the time to let us know when they spot a problem.
“I'd like to thank everyone that's been in touch and encourage residents to continue to let us know of any issues.”
The vast majority of the repair work is permanent, as opposed to controversial surface dressing, which is only temporary.
It was revealed in December that the Government has awarded County Hall £3.2 million over the next two years for repairs.
Bosses have also earmarked an extra £500,000 towards roads maintenance from the in-house budget for 2013/14, after consultations revealed the public believe it should be the second biggest priority behind social care.
People can log on to www.worcestershire.gov.uk/reportit or ring 0845 607 2005 to report a pothole.
Residents can also download a free app for iPhone and Android Devices, which can be found via the app store or on Google Play.
Comments(4)
More Tea Vicar
says...
10:02am Thu 7 Mar 13
Sorry, it's nonsense. We've not had particularly harsh weather. The problem here is not the climate, it's the Council's approach to doing its job.
The whole system of waiting for a pothole to appear and be reported, then dropping a lump of tarmac into it, is wrong.
It's a way of ensuring maximum input for minimum output, and the stories that keep re-appearing in the WN look like spin.
The Council seems to be more intent on looking busy and keeping its own PR machine in work, than on doing the job.
Roads seem much worse now than they did in the past, in much more straitened times.
Landy44
says...
6:51pm Thu 7 Mar 13
Come on WN what is going on? Get it sorted!
Iain Leav
says...
10:41am Fri 15 Mar 13
Iain Leav says...
9:36am Thu 7 Mar 13
There is also the fact the temporary repairs performed often only last a couple of weeks before being dislodged from the road.
I saw some contractors last year spray some kind of tar glue in a hole, stomp some gravel on top of it by foot and then get on their way. Hardly a skilled or long lasting repair.