All you need to know about potholes

How are potholes created? 

Water gets into small cracks in the road. Over time, especially in winter, the water freezes, and thaws again and again. This makes the cracks bigger and weakens the road.

As vehicles drive over the damaged area, the pressure pushes water deeper into the road. This softens the ground underneath, and the top layer starts to sink.

Eventually, the surface breaks apart, bits of asphalt come loose, and a pothole appears.

How do we fix potholes?

Not all potholes are created equal — and neither are the repairs! The size, location, and risk to road users all play a part in how we tackle them.  We follow the national Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice, which means we use a smart, risk-based approach to keep our roads safe and smooth.

Our Pothole Repair Methods

1. Temporary Fix

When a temporary is needed to keep drivers safe, we use a cold mix of bitumen and chippings to fill the hole. It’s smoothed out and compacted — a short-term solution until a full repair can be scheduled.

2. Cut Out and Fill  

For a longer-lasting repair, we cut a neat shape around the pothole, remove the damaged surface, and fill it with a hot mix of bitumen and chippings. Then we compact it with a whacker machine to make it road-ready.

How Fast Do We Act?

Emergency Repairs: If a pothole is dangerous, we aim to fix it within 24 hours.

Planned Repairs: If it’s not urgent, we schedule it in — often grouping repairs together to save time and money.

Coordinated Efforts: We also work around other planned roadworks and utility projects to keep disruption to a minimum.