Council responds to surge in pothole reports across Leicestershire
Work teams have repaired more than 7,000 potholes on Leicestershire’s road network since last May following a surge in reports from members of the public.
Leicestershire County Council say the sharp increase in reported potholes is due to prolonged wet weather, flooding and years of national underfunding which has left road surfaces and underlying layers more vulnerable to damage.
To manage rising demand, the council is recruiting additional inspectors, increasing capacity to assess reports quicker and prioritise locations based on safety so that repair teams are sent to the most urgent issues.
However, the prolonged saturation of ground conditions means that not only road surfaces, but the base layers, begin to deteriorate.
Water is now penetrating deeper into the structure of many roads, weakening foundations and making new defects more likely to form, County Hall’s highways department says.
A combination of storms, heavy rainfall, repeated ‘freeze–thaw cycles’ and sub zero temperatures has placed exceptional strain on roads.
These weather patterns accelerate damage when water enters small cracks, weakens layers below the surface, and expands when frozen.
Continued wet conditions also delay repairs, as some treatments require dry conditions to be effective.
Councillor Adam Tilbury, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Storms, flooding and freezing weather have caused more damage, and that’s reflected in the rise in pothole reports.
"Our teams are working extremely hard to keep up, prioritising safety and aiming for permanent fixes wherever possible.
“I also want to thank residents for reporting potholes to us - it really helps our teams respond quickly and focus on the most urgent issues.
“Please keep reporting potholes to us, we will prioritise repairs, directing teams to the most urgent issues and keeping the network as safe as possible.”
Despite the challenges, the county council says it continues to take a year-round preventative approach, focusing on long term resilience, targeted upgrades and measures that protect road surfaces and reduce future defects.
Whilst proactive work continues, greater long term investment is needed to make a bigger impact enabling more preventative works to be delivered, it says.
The county council maintains more than 2,500 miles of roads across towns, villages and rural routes in Leicestershire.
Go to www.leicestershire.gov.uk/report-a-road-problem to report a local pothole online.