DORSET County Council has had 1,800 potholes reported on the roads in just three weeks.

And the spiralling cost to repair Dorset’s crumbling roads could be as much as £135,000.

The repair bill comes after the county has been battered for weeks by heavy rain and bad weather.

And as temperatures drop in the coming weeks the problem could get worse as ice causes further damage to the roads.

Since the start of the New Year, 1,800 potholes have been reported to Dorset County Council, along with a further 1,200 other highway-related issues.

Normally the county council said they get around 120 emergency call-outs a month.

The county council said the approximate cost of repairing a pothole, depending on the type of repair that needs to be done, is around £50 to £75 each.

So to fix all 1,800 potholes DCC will be facing an approximate bill of around £90,000 to £135,000.

A total of 35 teams are currently out and about on Dorset’s roads fixing the potholes and defects.

The county council said it was extremely important that if people saw potholes they report them immediately so that they can be repaired.

Once a problem is reported the potholes are ranked for repair based on the level of risk to road users – namely its location, size, depth and the sort of road on which it occurs.

Andrew Martin, head of the county council’s highways operations, said: “Potholes and other road defects happen when water is trapped in the road surface.

“When water freezes it expands – causing the surface to break up.

“So freezing weather after the recent wet conditions will mean that we expect more potholes and defects to appear.”

He added: “Our crews will continue to repair defects whatever the weather. “We aim to repair potholes that present an immediate hazard to motorists within 32 hours and all other defects within 28 days.

“With the present number of reports we are doing our best to keep to this commitment.”

  • TO report an urgent road problem including flooding and fallen trees call 01305 221020. Potholes and road defects can be reported online at dorsetforyou. com – search for road and pavement maintenance and fill in the online form.

The chairman of the Dorset Institute for Advanced Motorists, John Haywood, said it was important to drive according to the conditions of the road and this included both the weather and road conditions.

He said: “The potholes are a lot worse on unclassified country roads where they haven’t been repaired so quickly because, as I understand it, Dorset County Council repair the A and B roads quicker than unclassified roads. Obviously drivers should be aware of this and drive according to the conditions, at a speed where you can stop where you see a hazard or pothole in front of you.”

He said this was more difficult at night, or where standing water meant you couldn’t see the road as clearly.

He added: “It’s a national problem – it impacts on Dorset quite considerably because we have a high percentage of rural country roads.”

Drivers warned to take care

THE chairman of the Dorset Institute for Advanced Motorists, John Haywood, said it was important to drive according to the conditions of the road and this included both the weather and road conditions.

He said: “The potholes are a lot worse on unclassified country roads where they haven’t been repaired so quickly because, as I understand it, Dorset County Council repair the A and B roads quicker than unclassified roads.

"Obviously drivers should be aware of this and drive according to the conditions, at a speed where you can stop where you see a hazard or pothole in front of you."

He said this was more difficult at night, or where standing water meant you couldn’t see the road as clearly.

He added: “It’s a national problem – it impacts on Dorset quite considerably because we have a high percentage of rural country roads.”

Repairs 'waste of time'

ACROSS the county Echo readers have been getting in touch to tell us where the potholes are bad – from the north of the county near Hermitage and Evershot to the Old Sherborne Road and Milton Abbas, the Piddle Valley and Wessex Way near Dorchester, as well as Preston Beach Road in Weymouth. With the recent bad weather, the problem has been growing.

Derek Hine, of Preston, said he was concerned about Preston Beach Road and Dorchester Road, in Weymouth.

He said that the beach road was cracked in several places.

“On Dorchester Road, there are potholes round that area by Lidl and by the traffic lights near Morrison’s – these are main roads.”

He said he had reported it to the county council and filled in questionnaires about the roads.

He added he didn’t think the county council were doing enough to tackle the problem and that the whole road surface needed to be done again.

He said: “To me, you can’t go on just doing temporary repairs, it’s just a waste of time.”

Joyce Chutter, 82, from Hermitage, said that the potholes through the village were terrible.

She said: “You have a job to even miss one. They are dreadful.”

She said the narrow village roads were potholed and it was ok for the tractors, which could go over them, but people in normal cars had to go as slow as 5mph in order to avoid the holes.

She added: “It really is dangerous.”

Weather set to turn

THE weather looks set to turn colder and more characteristic for this time of year over the next few weeks.

The Met Office said that the weather will remain unsettled for the end of January and the beginning of February with bands of rain likely across the UK and some snow on the hills at times, with clear, cold conditions and brisk winds.

A spokesman said: “Drier and brighter weather is most likely in the south and south east. Temperatures will be near to or slightly below normal with a continued risk of frost and fog.”

Conditions will be likely to be changeable until mid February but the south could see longer spells of drier and brighter weather.

The spokesman said: “Some colder periods are likely, particularly between weather systems, with large variations possible day by day depending on the timings of weather systems.

Extra bills put pressure on stretched cash

EXTRA bills to repair weather-wrecked roads will put pressure on ‘already stretched council finances’, according to the Local Government Association.

The LGA, which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, called on the Department for Transport to create a highways maintenance emergency fund following the recent spate of heavy rain and flooding.

They said the recent bad weather had left behind a ‘daunting trail of destruction’ for councils to clear-up, including damage to highways, coastal defences and infrastructure.

The LGA said that an emergency fund would help support councils who now faced ‘hefty and unexpected’ repair bills after the recent flooding, which were ‘likely to place significant financial pressures on already stretched council finances.’ The government has announced it will set up a fund of £7million for local authorities affected by flooding, which has been welcomed by the LGA.

The LGA said that a similar fund was created following severe flooding in 2007.

Mike Jones, chairman of LGA’s Environment and Housing Board, pictured below, said: “We are pleased the government has recognised the need to assist with the early part of flood recovery with this emergency funding.

“This is a promising initial first step, but given the high costs of the floods already identified councils will need further help to fully repair the damage caused by this extreme weather.”

He added: “We would also like to thank the minister for acknowledging the work of local authorities during the recent storms and their subsequent clean up.

“Councils will continue to work round the clock to ensure floods are responded to swiftly and effectively.”

The news of the new government fund was welcomed by the county council. A spokesman for DCC said: "We would certainly be interested in any extra funding that may be available to help us repair potholes and other road defects for residents of Dorset.”