Residents and visitors are being asked to let the council know where road repairs may be needed as the Royal Borough launches another Pothole Challenge.
The two-month campaign running throughout October and November will see teams identifying roads where pothole repair work is required and undertaking hundreds of alterations*.
Potholes can be reported online by going to www.rbwm.gov.uk and choosing the ‘report it’ tab or by calling 01628 683800. The team is actively seeking people’s involvement with this challenge so we can fix the holes that they are most bothered by.
This financial year the borough received a pothole challenge grant of £173,000. Since April 2017 over 1,800 potholes have been filled and the council aims to double this by the end of March 2018.
In addition around £2 million will be spent repairing or improving roads in the borough this year, which also includes other maintenance work and resurfacing as well as potholes.
Furthermore this year alone 17 km (10.5 miles) of council roads have been resurfaced. Our highways team and contractor VolkerHighways also respond to emergency maintenance requests and work with utility companies to minimise disruption when they need to work on a road for vital repairs or emergency work.
Cllr Phill Bicknell, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “This additional £173,000 from the government will make a huge difference to our roads and eliminate the potholes which may have been a nuisance to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. We always encourage residents to report them to us so we can target areas and repair them as soon as it’s possible.
“Our Pothole Challenge team will ensure all borough roads are in the best possible condition before the typically cold and wet autumn and winter weather arrives and temperatures drop. These conditions can cause more damage to roads and make existing and untreated potholes worse so it’s important they are repaired promptly.”
Daron Mizen, project manager for VolkerHighways, said: “We are pleased to be supporting the council in repairing the borough’s roads by completing a prioritised programme of permanent pothole repairs, using our skilled and dedicated workforce. This is a timely opportunity to make sure the road network is ready for the winter season.”
*The team does continue to fix potholes throughout the year. This eight week period is an intensive one that concentrates solely on pothole repair work and preventative work.
