The number of potholes on British roads has increased by almost a third in the past sixth months, according to the Asphalt Industy Alliance (AIA).
Lastest figures show that there is a average of one pothole every 120 yards on our roads, which equates to an average of over 13,000 potholes per local authority area.
A total of 968,195 potholes were filled last year at a cost of around £65 per hole, with a total of £62.2m spent filling potholes. The total bill for the average local authority to fix all of its potholes in one go is estimated at a staggering £47m.
The AIA calculations show that the total cost to fix these potholes will cost in excess of £8.5bn and take over 13 years to remedy the problem in England. Their research also indicates that 74 per cent of councils in England believe the state of our roads is a threat to road safety.
However, that sentiment is not echoed by one parish council in Essex who believe that potholes act as “natural traffic calming” and actually improve road safety. Councilllors in Navestock believe repairing the holes is too costly and will only allow motorists to drive faster.
The Government recently pledged £6bn in funding for road projects, but it is believed much of that money has already been allocated and will not go to repair the roads that were so badly damaged by this winter’s cold snap.
The findings by the AIA show the roads in England to be in a poor state of repair, but spare a thought for those people living in Wales, as the research indicates it would take around 15.6 years to repair their potholed roads.
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