Potholes
Pothole Repairs
We prioritise pothole repairs based on severity. The most dangerous potholes are repaired within 1 to 7 days.
Most potholes are assigned to specialist teams and are repaired based on location and road usage. These are usually completed within 90 days, although this may be extended depending on available resources.
Report a pothole
If you would like to alert us to a pothole, please report it online
Pothole Repair Methods
We use a range of repair methods to ensure cost-effectiveness and efficiency:
- Planer patching teams for larger repairs
- Traditional ‘cut and break’ crews
- Two-person reactive teams for smaller repairs
- In-situ tarmac manufacturing team
- Four velocity patching machines (Road Master) during the appropriate treatment season
Road Master (Velocity Patching)
During summer and milder conditions, Road Master machines are used to repair multiple defects in one area. These machines:
- Speed up repairs by allowing remote filling and sealing of potholes
- Operate without needing to refill throughout the day
- Create no waste, making them more environmentally friendly than traditional methods
For more information and a demonstration of Road Master machines in action, please see the following video:
Pothole Repair Methods
Cut and Break
This method involves cutting around the pothole and removing damaged material. The area is then refilled with tarmac. A bitumen over-banding may be applied to protect the joint from water ingress and further damage. This is not used in all repairs, such as velocity patching or temporary make-safe repairs.
Other Repair Methods
- Planer patching: Used for larger repairs
- Hot spot patching: Targeted repairs in high-risk areas
- Pre-patching: Preparation for preventative maintenance treatments
Preventative Maintenance Treatments
We use various surface treatments as part of our preventative maintenance programme. These help extend the life of the road and reduce the need for reactive repairs.
Surface Dressing
This involves applying a bituminous binder followed by aggregate chippings. It seals the road surface from water ingress and restores skid resistance.
Loose chippings are common immediately after treatment, so 10 mph speed limit signs are placed at treated sites.
For more details, visit our road surface treatments page.
Structural Maintenance Treatments
These treatments involve removing and replacing old road materials. Costs vary depending on the depth and area of surfacing required.
Due to the scale of these works, they require significant investment from the highway maintenance budget.
For more information on how schemes are identified and prioritised, visit our asset investment page.
