Skip to main content

Huge repair bill for Britain's potholes

Following one of the coldest winters in recent memory, Britain’s roads have stacked up an estimated £10 billion (€11.5 billion) repair bill just for potholes. These are caused by the freeze/thaw cycle: water seeps into cracks in the road surface, expands when frozen and then breaks up when it thaws. It has been estimated that in Britain there is at least one pothole for every 110m (sometimes many more) and that it will take at least 15 years to fix the problem.
May 15, 2012 Read time: 1 min
The coldest winter for many years has exploited Britain's roads, resulting in thousands of potholes
Following one of the coldest winters in recent memory, Britain’s roads have stacked up an estimated £10 billion (€11.5 billion) repair bill just for potholes.

These are caused by the freeze/thaw cycle: water seeps into cracks in the road surface, expands when frozen and then breaks up when it thaws.

It has been estimated that in Britain there is at least one pothole for every 110m (sometimes many more) and that it will take at least 15 years to fix the problem.

At present it is estimated that, apart from main routes such as motorways, there are some 1.6 million potholes on Britain’s 390,000km of secondary roads.

According to David Weeks, director of the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), the country’s road network is in danger of falling to “Third World” levels.

Related Content

  • Eurobitume Congress: Prague promises
    June 22, 2016
    Held every four years, the Eurasphalt and Eurobitume congresses have a reputation for revealing developments that will shape the future of bitumen use on Europe’s roads. This year’s event in Prague promises to uphold that reputation. By Kristina Smith The list of locations for the Eurobitume and Eurasphalt (E&E) Congresses reads like a traveller’s dream itinerary: Strasbourg, Barcelona, Vienna, Copenhagen, Istanbul. Now the beautiful city of Prague has been added to the list. Between 1-3 June, presenter
  • Effective, efficient long reach excavators
    April 13, 2012
    Long reach excavators now dominate the demolition sector - Mike Woof reports The last 10-15 years have seen the way demolition work is carried out change dramatically. Safety issues have long been of concern in the demolition sector, with the industry having been criticised for not doing enough to protect its workforce. Demolition projects can be dangerous due to the very nature of the job, with old structures being knocked down and broken up on-site. There is a substantial risk to site workers from
  • Effective, efficient long reach excavators
    February 15, 2012
    Long reach excavators now dominate the demolition sector - Mike Woof reports
  • Brazil’s high road death rate
    June 7, 2021
    Brazil’s road death rate remains worryingly high.