Walsall Council is once again reminding residents how to report potholes in the lead-up to National Pothole Day on Wednesday, 15 January 2025.
The purpose of the day is to highlight the risks that potholes pose to road users, particularly cyclists, and to raise awareness about how residents can report them.
Councillor Kerry Murphy, Portfolio Holder for Street Pride at Walsall Council, said, “During 2024, Walsall Council repaired 4,846 potholes at an estimated cost of £290,000.
“Every pothole reported to the council is assessed based upon the risk to road users. A priority timescale is then set for each repair, and our teams work hard to fix them as quickly as possible.
“I’d like to thank all of our residents who take the time to report potholes, and I would encourage anyone seeing a pothole on a road or footpath to report it via the council website.”
Potholes occur when sections of the road surface collapse due to bad weather and traffic, creating hazards for all road users. Cyclists, in particular, are at greater risk.
Councillor Murphy added, “For several years, Walsall Council has been investing in long-term highway maintenance. This is proving to be beneficial and maintenance techniques at the right locations help the council keep its roads in good condition, benefiting residents, businesses and visitors to the borough.”
Of the 4,846 potholes repaired in 2024, 4,223 were fixed using a velocity patcher. This efficient and cost-effective method involves spray injection patching, which is not only fast but also has exceptionally low carbon emissions. The remaining 623 repairs were completed using traditional techniques, which involve manually breaking out the road surface and replacing it.
Residents are encouraged to report any problems with roads or footpaths by visiting the council’s website at: https://go.walsall.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/report-a-street-problem.