"Glimmers of hope" - Salford's growing pothole problem

Regent Road may have caused major disruption in Salford over recent months, but potholes are an ongoing battle for residents and commuters alike.

Philip Hammond announced in last year’s budget that £420 million would be set aside to fix the country’s potholes. Since then, highway maintenance budgets have increased from £20.6 million to £24.5 million a year. But this figure is a drop in the ocean, as it has been estimated that almost £10 billion will be needed to solve the nationwide issue.

Last year councils filled 330,000 potholes across the UK, with the number of potholes filled in Salford rising from 2,647 in 2016 to 3,146 in 2018.

ALARM Survey 2018

a pothole is filled every

21 seconds

but roads are only resurfaced every 78 years

£7.3 million was paid out in compensation last year

and highway maintenance budgets increased to

£24.5 million

over 24,000 miles of road need repairs by next year

and 1 in 5 local roads could fail in the next 5 years

some councils in the North of England receive only

£9,000 for roads

while those in the South receive up to £90,000

Information from Asphalt Industry Alliance ALARM Survey 2018

ALARM 2018 also found that almost 82% of road user compensation claims were due to pothole damage, an issue that has gripped the nation’s “ageing local road network.”

Since motorists are in a car, the suspension can absorb most of the impact from potholes. Paul Tuohy, chief executive of Cycling UK, said: “Cyclists, like pedestrians, suffer particularly badly from poor road maintenance, as the outcome is far more likely to involve personal injury.”

Cycled Old Traff to Salford then to MediaCity then back to OT. Never again! ?Back to my diesel tomoz Forced onto badly surfaced duel carriageways, motorways, dodging potholes & stuck in blocked cycled lanes. #GMCA Invest into existing cycle lanes connect them & fix roads! ??

— Dr Stukiii (@stukiii) February 26, 2019

Injuries aren’t just limited to cyclists. One Salford resident suffered bruised ribs when driving along Rossall Way by Salford Precinct when his car “juddered” over the potholes.

He said: “Not once have I ever seen Salford City Council fixing a pothole in the road. Not once. I’ve seen them resurfacing a road, but I’ve never seen them actually fix a pothole.”

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