REPORT LOCAL POTHOLES SAY CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL

Cheshire East Council is urging local residents to report any potholes which may have appeared in the roads following the recent ice and snow.
The Authority say the recent severe weather conditions have left roads exposed to 'freeze-thaw' damage. This happens when water seeps into cracks in the road and is frozen. It then expands, causing the surface of the road to break up and in some cases cause potholes to form.
Residents are asked to report any defects on local roads, pavements or footways to the Authority so they can be repaired as soon as possible.
Cheshire East Council and its contractor BAM Nuttall, along with local award-winning partners 'Asphalt Re-lay', now use new technologies to repair potholes. An infra-red heat source, with additional materials is added to the pothole and compacted to provide a joint-free permanent patch.
The Authority deals with over 20,000 highway defects every year.
In anticipation of an increase in reports of potholes following the severe weather, five additional crews have been assigned to deal with repairs.
Cheshire East Council Leader, Wesley Fitzgerald, said:
"Wet weather conditions, combined with the freezing temperatures, destroys tarmac very quickly. The recent severe weather has resulted in the increased rate of deterioration of road surfaces.
"The Council is working hard to keep drivers safer by fixing the holes as quickly as possible. However, some ground is now waterlogged meaning repairs in these areas will not be possible at the current time. Temporary solutions will be used, where necessary, until the weather improves."
Cheshire East Council's Highway Asset Manager, Gary Mallin, said:
"This severe weather period which has lasted for almost four weeks, has inevitably had an effect on the road surface and we are already seeing an increase in the number and size of potholes from what we would expect over a normal winter period.
"We are encouraging residents to report potholes and other damage caused by the weather so that we can give our urgent attention to them. In the meantime, I would urge people to drive carefully on stretches of road where they know potholes have developed until we can get our resources out there to fix them."


Local residents can report potholes to Cheshire East Council on 0300 123 5500 or online by going to cheshireeast.gov.uk