Council agrees new blitz on city potholes (From Daily Echo)
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Extra £300k to be spent on Southampton roads by City Council
7:20am Thursday 30th April 2009 in Search
REPAIRS: Southampton City Council last year bought a £40,000 Rhinopatch machine to mend potholes.
A BLITZ on thousands of extra potholes caused by the worst winter in 18 years has been launched in Southampton.
Tory council leaders have agreed to spend an additional £300,000 to tackle a rise in the number of holes in the city’s roads following the severe weather conditions.
The funding, two-thirds of it new and one-third previously agreed, will help to plug around 4,500 more potholes.
The council currently fixes about 1,200 potholes per month.
Highways boss Councillor Matt Dean said that despite record sums being spent on road maintenance, there was still a funding shortfall to clear a backlog of road repairs.
It was last estimated at £50m.
Cllr Dean said without an extra boost from Government the council could only slow the decline of the city’s roads.
“Not only are Government underfunding Southampton’s road network, they are unable to give any clear indication as to how things are going to get better going forward.”
In its war against potholes, council chiefs last year splashed out £40,000 on an infrared road repair machine called Rhinopatch.
Working like a toaster, the machine melts and resets the road instead of digging it up and replacing it.
To report a pothole, contact the council’s Actionline on 0800 5191919.
