Freezing weather and snow causes even more potholes in UK roads

It will cost millions of pounds, but it is a job UK Councils will need to fix them. Extra teams will be out fixing potholes, as failure to fix the potholes will cause the holes to get bigger and more expensive to fix.

Potholes are a big problem for local authorities across the country with the repeated freeze-thaw cycle of the current cold spell, its timing and its length making the problem worse this year.

Potholes are formed by water penetrating the asphalt surface of a road through cracks caused by traffic. When temperatures plunge, the water freezes, expands and causes the surface to rupture. When the ice melts, it leaves a void below the surface, which caves in under the stress of vehicles and eventually forms a pothole.

A small crack becomes a large crack, a large crack has become a small pothole and a small pothole very rapidly becomes a large pothole.

During the cold snap in February last year there was an estimated 40% increase in road damage, according to the AA. It says its insurance branch received more than three times as many claims for pothole damage than the same month the year before.

Local authorities are urging people to report potholes. This can usually be done via your council's websites.

There are also a number of other websites offering advice on dealing with and reporting potholes.

Try www.fillthathole.org.uk

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