Key facts
- A pothole on Turner Road in Colchester, UK, was monitored for over a year.
- The pothole was first reported in September 2024 and repaired in February 2025.
- The 'cold lay' repair lasted less than nine months before showing significant wear and forming a new pothole.
- Road surfacing experts stated 'cold lay' repairs typically last up to six months, while 'hot fill' repairs should last years.
- The BBC investigation revealed a wide variation in pothole repair costs across UK councils, from £20 to nearly £300.
- The number of potholes fixed by councils increased by 25% between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
A year-long investigation by the BBC into a single pothole on Turner Road in Colchester has highlighted significant concerns regarding the quality of road repairs and the long-term funding of highway maintenance in the UK.
The pothole, measuring 60cm wide and 10cm deep, emerged from previous repairs on a busy suburban road. Despite being reported in September 2024, it took until February 2025 for a 'make-safe' repair to be carried out by contractor Ringway Jacobs. This temporary fix, costing an estimated £73, involved patching the cavity with a cold lay mixture. However, the repair began to deteriorate within eight weeks, and within nine months, the surface had split, and a new pothole had formed nearby.
Councillor David King, who used his council budget to fund the initial repair, expressed disappointment, stating his expectation was for a repair to last at least a year. Road surfacing experts consulted by the BBC indicated that 'cold lay' repairs typically have a lifespan of between one day and six months, contrasting sharply with 'hot fill' repairs, which, when properly executed, should last for years.
Essex County Council, which spent approximately £16 million on reactive maintenance last year, acknowledged that 'make-safe repairs' are short-term fixes. The council did not confirm the exact type of repair used but suggested it was economical and quick.
The BBC's review of council transparency reports revealed a wide disparity in pothole repair costs across England, ranging from £20 to nearly £300, with Essex averaging around £120. The number of potholes reported as fixed has increased by 25% in recent years, from 1.47 million in 2020-21 to 1.84 million in 2024-25, but this does not account for the longevity of these repairs.
Sue Percy, chief executive of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, emphasized that while planned maintenance programmes are more cost-effective in the long run, local authorities often rely on ad-hoc patching due to funding constraints. She noted that factors such as increased traffic, heavier vehicles, climate change, and existing backlogs contribute to the growing pothole problem.
In response to these issues, the government has introduced new reporting requirements for councils and stated it has provided £7.3 billion in long-term road funding to address potholes, requiring councils to demonstrate improved repair quality and reduced repeat visits.