Staffordshire's pothole backlog is being cleared, council boss claims
A £5 million investment in tackling Staffordshire's backlog of potholes is already a success, a highways boss has said.
In the past year, more than 31,000 potholes have been repaired in the county as part of Staffordshire County Council’s work to improve roads.
A combination of traditional gangs repairing potholes, plus use of the three new pothole ‘zapping’ machines has meant more than 2,500 defects are being repaired on average every month.
County Councillor Helen Fisher, cabinet support member for Highways and Transport said: “Good roads are important to communities, but in a county the size of Staffordshire tackling potholes is always going to be a challenge.
“The extra £5m investment has helped crews tackle more repairs and reduce the backlog.
"Potholes are a symptom of a weakened road surface, so this work coupled with the £35m investment in road and transport schemes across the county, we can hopefully prevent more potholes from appearing in the future.
"With the winter gritting season officially starting in October, the focus will shift from repairs to ensuring the roads are clear and the county is able to keep moving during adverse weather conditions.
“Pothole repairs tend to slow down during the winter months due to the adverse weather conditions.
"Nevertheless, throughout December, January and February crews still managed to repair an average of 1800 potholes per month, showing that work to improve Staffordshire’s roads carries on all year round.”
