By Local Democracy Reporter Simon Finlay
Six more contractors have been hired to tackle the county’s pothole crisis in a race against time before winter arrives.
Kent County Council (KCC), which is responsible for looking after highways, is using £6m in additional government funding to tackle crumbling roads.
The repair list is so long this year, the authority has conceded it could take until the autumn to get through them.
Potholes happen mainly during winter when cold and wet weather causes the road surface to break up and is made worse by heavy traffic.
After last winter’s prolonged spells of rain and frost, there was a five-fold increase in reports.
Deteriorated highways can damage vehicles, cause punctures and even contribute to accidents.
KCC has failed to meet its own 28 day target to deal with pothole reports.
KCC highways boss, Cllr David Brazier said recently: “It’s a big issue for people – it’s perfectly understandable. Potholes damage cars, they are unsightly and make the roads appear uncared for.”
KCC’s Local Transport Plan recently acknowledged that due to financial restraints “our highways assets are in a phase of managed decline”.
The plan, released last month, stated: “The rate of highway asset deterioration has far exceeded the rate of investment. As a result, the value of the backlog of maintenance works needed for our managed road network has been increasing.”
A KCC statement said: “KCC received an additional £6m in government funding to ensure potholes and safety critical defects can be repaired as soon as possible.
“This means the total investment in road and footway maintenance repairs and resurfacing this financial year is expected to be in the order of £50 million.
“This work has been going on since winter when Kent’s roads were battered with wintry and icy conditions, and will continue throughout the summer autumn months.
“Six additional contractors have been appointed by KCC to ensure the required resources are on hand to successfully deliver the level of repair needed over this short period of time.”
Cllr Brazier added: “We know how disruptive and frustrating it is for the travelling public when potholes are left untreated.
“This additional investment is allowing us to work faster and smarter to ensure the travelling public in Kent continue to be safe in moving around the county.
“Our road workers are on the front line every day, working hard to ensure we repair all faults that we are made aware of as we work to win the battle against potholes.”
KCC’s highway stewards prioritise reports of damage received from members of the public, as well as those picked up in its own routine inspections.
A total scandal. Can we get a list of areas being done? I would like to nominate StPeters in Thanet as one that needs lots of urgent repairs.
All very well, but what about the pavements? So often these have been neglected for decades, while yet again motorists are given priority.
If you are disabled it is safer to walk on the road as the pavements are so bad, unless of course you get knocked down by a car.
Ditto the above, I had no idea how bad the pavements were until I was forced to get off my bike and use a mobility scooter! Try a scooter along Margate Road from the viaduct, to at least Pysons Road, its an obstacle course, and Boundary Road is no better! Six million pounds that won’t go far! Third world countries would be ashamed to have roads and pavements like ours!
Heavier vehicles cause pot holes, makes sense so start charging electric vehicles road tax equivalently to other vehicles as they are generally 2 times heavier than petrol/ diesel.
Would be fair as twice the wait twice the damage.
Should say weight