PHOTOS reveal gaping potholes on Southampton roads.
Cracks and potholes filled with filthy puddles can be seen along a stretch of Belvidere Road in the St Mary’s area of the city.
However, new government funding means burst tyres and damaged suspension could become a thing of the past.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced in Wednesday’s Spring Budget that £200 million will be made available to fix roads across the country.
And, that these funds will increase to £700 million in the 2023/24 financial year.
However, the cost of bringing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch has been estimated at £12.6 billion.
Beyond Southampton, Hampshire County Council is set to receive just shy of £6 million, which will go directly towards tackling pothole repairs in the area.
Councillor Nick Adams-King, services boss, said: “We know that the condition of our roads and footways is a key priority for our residents, and our highway teams, in partnership with our contractor Milestone, have been working continuously to keep our network in a safe condition.”
He said that the Council has repaired over 16,000 potholes in the last three months alone.
Recent analysis by the Local Government Association showed Government funding for maintaining England’s motorways and major A roads was 31 times higher per mile than for repairing local roads last year.
Delivering his Budget speech, Mr Hunt said the “wet then cold winter” resulted in him receiving “strong representations” from MPs and councillors about “the curse of potholes”.
Potholes are often formed when water that has entered cracks in the road surface freezes and expands
RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “There won’t be a road user in the country who doesn’t dodge a pothole on a daily basis, so any extra money to help fill them in is welcome.
“However, it is worth remembering there are 190,000 miles of road in England alone so the additional £200 million is going to be thinly spread.
“We mustn’t forget that road maintenance extends beyond the road surface to things like bridges.
“Councils also need the money to shore up the thousands of sub-standard crossings our research has shown are out there.”
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