Residents urged to flag up potholes after 3,000 repairs completed
More than 3,000 potholes have been repaired in Telford and Wrekin in the last year as workers took advantage of quieter roads.
Now highways inspectors are urging residents to get in touch if there are problems with the roads in their area.
Telford & Wrekin Council and its highways contractor Balfour Beatty have been taking advantage of there being less vehicles on the roads during the coronavirus lockdowns to get work done. Workers have also been using innovative Multihog patching machines to improve roads that may be liable to potholes and extend the life of repairs they make.
Councillor Lee Carter, cabinet member for highways maintenance, said: “The Department for Transport tells us that the condition of our roads is of a higher standard than the regional average; however, the nature of the beast is that there is always more to do and we have pledged record investment to try and meet the challenge. The relatively low number of potholes compared to last year is as a direct result of the additional investment put into the borough’s highway network in recent years.
“We have invested significantly in proactive patching work this year using a £2.4m grant from the Department for Transport, £1m of which used the effective “Multihog” system which has covered nearly 12,000sqm of repairs – the equivalent of 12,000 potential potholes.
“In addition to this work and our own inspectors getting out across the whole network, we are appealing to the public to report any potholes they see. We will inspect all defects reported to us and if they are dangerous we will aim to repair them within one working day. All other potholes will be repaired as part of a planned programme of work depending on the severity.
“We will do all we can to ensure we continue to have some of the best roads in the region."
