Be prepared to be driven potty
Road users could be faced with more potholes on the county’s roads following the latest cold snap.
MOTORIST could be faced with more potholes on the county’s roads following the harsh winter this year despite a record number of potholes being filled last year.
Devon County Council repaired nearly 200,000 potholes and safety defects on its 8,000 mile network in 2010 with around �11 million spent on reactive repairs and resurfacing highways damaged by last winter.
That figure supersedes the 40,000 potholes filled in 2009, which was double the usual amount during a normal year.
The latest cold spell and recent thaw has seen potholes starting to appear and teams are carrying out temporary repairs to ensure that the county’s roads remain as safe as possible.
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Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “It’s too early to predict to what extent the recent severe weather may have damaged our roads, but it’s likely to have again caused considerable damage for a third winter in a row.
“We still need members of the public to be our eyes and ears and report potholes to us because our road network is a vital asset for the local economy, local business and tourism.
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“Our teams are responding to these reports and over the coming weeks and months we’ll be keeping a watchful eye on the situation.”
Reactive pothole repairs alone will have cost the county council an estimated �6.6 million by the end of the financial year, and more than �7 million is expected to have been spent repairing all safety defects.
Devon also received �3.6 million from the Department for Transport for the current financial year, which is being spent on resurfacing sections of major roads where significant winter damage took place.
To report potholes and safety defects on the roads visit www.devon.gov.uk or call 0845 155 1004.
