what about all these potholes?

[mrspask]

The bad weather is easily blamed but what about poor surfaces?Why is it that some roads are not effected but others are riddled with holes?.Generally speaking the motorways are OK but urban roads are bad.Poor [cheap[materials maybe??So easy to blame the weather!! I wonder if they have this problem in Canada or Russia???

[sddsddean]

I have worked on the roads, in one way or another, for 25 odd years. There is no doubt that frost damage is the main factor, but companies/agencies have been trying out new surfacing techniques and I think this contributes to the failure of the surface. When I first started out we used HRA(Hot Rolled Asphalt) with pre coated chips rolled in. I can't remember the last time I saw a chipping machine as everything now seems to be SMA (Stone Mastic Asphalt). The advantage of SMA is its quicker to lay, because you can just roll it as soon as it comes out of the paver, and its a quieter road surface. However, I don't think it lasts as long as there are sections I know that have been replaced after less than 2 years! As to motorways being in better condition, they aren't really...its just that at 70 mph you are going too fast to notice. I recently did the M1 between J18 and J16 and whilst I would have said it wasn't too bad, when you actually got to stand on the motorway you could see big chunks of missing wearing course and lots of big cracks.

[boxtops]

Our local roads are still dreadful in patches and it's noticeable where there are joints - e.g. where one half of the road has been resurfaced at a different time from the other lane - the mddles have broken up!

[craft1948]

The street next to mine near York Racecourse was known locally as Pothole Alley for years. When they held Royal Ascot at York and they knew the Queen was coming the whole street was resurfaced.

[mrspask]

Imtravel the M62 regularly and there are some rough areas but bearing in mind how busy this road is,it is NOTHING like the surfaces of urban roads There is def.a problem with how these potholes have ocurred.If our country cant avoid a cold Winter without our roads collapsing!!!!! Its like the third world!!!!!!!!

[dothawkes31]

The road up to our house was badly damaged by the frost this last winter but the highways dept have filled the holes in with black stuff that stands out really obviously and looks like it will last about as long as the new BGT winner's fame.

[BenMoney09]

I think its just a way for everyone to make money , Garages for tracking and Balancing And companies who are just filling them in , then buy the next year it needs doing again . We should be reinbursed for costs because of the amount we pay in tax, insurance , fuel. Also The cowaboy councils who want all our money.

[Andyvon]

The state of UK roads is just another example of how far this country is sinking away from it's former status as a First World state. My neighbours are Indians who we've got to know well and spend much time with. They say that when they arrived here in 2001 they used to tell their family and friends in Mumbai how wonderful the UK was. They said how clean the towns were, how full the shops were and they also used to tell them how smooth our roads were. Now they say they tell their families that our roads are getting like those in India!

Not only that, now that she has gained her doctorate our friends are looking to leave the UK for possibly Canada, Australia or New Zealand. Why? They say Britain's finished! They hoped to have children here but now they tell their families how all the shops are closing and the towns are dirty and empty - and we live in the heart of the Home Counties! This used to be such a wealthy area. Our friends say that everything is now so expensive such as food, fuel and the cost of living, that they don't want to bring children up here. British society is collapsing as is the education system, NHS etc which they had always admired.
We agree with them that the state of the country will continue to decline as the UK has gone over a tipping point from which there is no hope of recovery. We have no manufacturing or industry to rebuild with - it's all gone to the EU, China and India. This so-called 'recession' is quite simply the economic collapse of a broken, ruined and bankrupt state. Things will only continue to get worse and worse. We'll be sorry to see our friends leave but we can't blame them. We wish we could leave too. I'm so pleased that my wife and I never had children. I'd be so worried for them. The state of the British roads are just a reflection of the state of Britain today. Thanks Tories and New Labour!

[welshlibranr]

We have potholes everywhere her in South Wales! I know just when to swerve to avoid them! they are everywhere! why do we pay road tax?................they don't use the money to mend the roads!..........We just pay to repair the damage to our cars, because they don't mend the roads!!.................