80 potholes per day repaired in Sandwell after freeze
Up to 80 potholes a day are being repaired in Sandwell after the big freeze which hit the region earlier this year, bosses said today.
Sandwell Council is blitzing the damaged roads caused by the severe winter weather.
A special task force was set up to tackle potholes with four two-man squads tasked with repairing the damaged roads in January.
And today borough neighbourhoods chief, Councillor Ian Jones said up to 500 potholes were being repaired across the borough each week.
Workers have been repairing potholes immediately as they find them on footways and carriageways.
Councillor Ian Jones, cabinet member for neighbourhood services said: “We are repairing around 80 a day, that is around 400 to 500 potholes a week.
“The cost of the repairs is coming out of our own resources.
“We have got a team going round doing 80 a day. These are interim measures while we still have these potholes.
“The fact we are doing this amount a day is good news for road users and shows our commitment to keep roads safe and in a good condition in the borough.”
Workers identified 18 routes in Sandwell when they launched the operation in January. The routes add up to more than 620 miles collectively.
Due to the snow and cold conditions, minor defects on the roads have been exaggerated, leading to more potholes.
Sandwell Council is not the only authority that has set up special teams to repair the roads after the poor weather.
Last week council leaders in neighbouring Dudley pledged to take action on tackling potholes blighting the borough after residents called for road maintenance to be considered a priority.
Bosses have decided to allocate almost £750,000 to carry out the repairs in the next 12 months. The council had originally put aside £549,400 to target potholes.
But following its budget consultation with residents – the biggest in the council’s history – it decided to earmark an extra £200,000 as many residents had called for the service to be protected.
Dangerous potholes or defects are repaired by Dudley Council within 24 hours of notification and others are added to the authority’s programme of works accordingly.
Meanwhile, in Worcestershire, council chiefs have also expanded their pothole service.
Comments for: "80 potholes per day repaired in Sandwell after freeze"
Ian walker
It is nice to know something is being done about all the fresh potholes because as a motorcyclist they really are the bane of my life.
Kurt Dreslin
In other countries like France and Belgium they often resurface the entire road rather than take forever patching and mending like we do which in the long term wont solve the problem after all we do pay road tax which is meant to be spent on the roads after all.
Pete
If you mean repaired means bodging a bit of tarmac in the holes ive seen a few, but there are plenty left where I drive. Commitment to keep roads safe well all I can say is thank god for the snow and ice bringing the existing pot holes even bigger then !!