An additional contractor has been appointed to help tackle the outstanding number of potholes which have built up following harsh winter conditions.
The appointment of a second contractor on a temporary basis means that the problem of outstanding potholes will be resolved in the coming months. In addition to the large number of reports from residents, motorists, cyclists and other road users, the council’s team of Highway Inspectors are also examining the condition of the highway on a daily basis. The numbers of repair jobs needed has risen significantly, typically around 900 jobs per month in the winter months prior to Christmas, to around 1500 jobs per month currently.
The news follows planned resurfacing work which has been taking place at night in Westmoreland Road, when the entire road surface is also being renewed.
Councillor Nicholas Bennett, Executive Councillor for Transport, Highways and Road Safety said, “We are taking action to resolve the problem we are facing in our borough, which is much the same elsewhere, not that that is the point. I thank residents and motorists and other road users, including cyclists, for their understanding, support and for reporting the potholes via our website. If residents come across a new pothole, I would encourage them to report it but to refrain from reporting something where it is already known about. Please continue to bear with us, whilst we see the outcome of the additional resources that are being put in.”
Councillor Bennett continued, “There continue to be industry wide shortages of staff to carry out this important work and there are a number of factors which mean this an issue which is complex to completely resolve, which is why we are taking the action we have. Whilst we did take the decision to resurface Westmoreland Road, it is noteworthy that funding from TfL has reduced since 2018 for our principal road network where previously funding would have been available for such projects.”
The extreme low temperatures in parts of the winter, combined with torrential downpours have caused major damage on roads nationwide. Consequently, the numbers of potholes have increased over the winter period, a situation replicated elsewhere across the country, prompting the council to appoint an additional contractor to help tackle the problem. The winter months are not an ideal time to make highway repairs, with some of the initial temporary repairs proving not to effective.
The appointment of O’Rourke Contracting means that additional crews will be on hand to fix potholes, with the council’s highway team seeking to ensure that repairs are carried out in as an efficient way as possible. O’Rourke Contracting will be tasked with carrying out repairs on many of the quieter residential roads, with Riney carrying out much of the required work, including on the larger main roads, with the complexities this also brings.
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