YP Letters: Digging in for answers to our growing pothole problems

YOUR correspondent John Blundell (The Yorkshire Post, April 28) has identified one of the main causes of the crumbling of our road surfaces.

It seems utility companies just wait until a road has been resurfaced before digging it up for some “essential” works. The result is often a patched trench along a length of road which becomes a weak area subject to deterioration and potholing.

We know that local authorities claim that the reinstatement has to be up to a standard, but in practice the work often disintegrates over time. I have yet to see a contractor called back.

North Yorkshire County Council has introduced a permit system as some measure of control over the utilities and it is to be hoped that this will result in better monitoring of work.

From: Phil Brown, managing director, Absolute Group, Harrogate.

THE state of our roads and footpaths is, as everyone, 
knows a disgrace.

The head of highways should be removed from office immediately.

There are ways to rectify this situation:

Use the Road Fund Licence to fund roads;

Reduce pension fund contributions from council 
tax;

Stop paying out damages 
and repair potholes quickly 
and properly. This would also create employment;

Employ a leader that cares.

From: Paul Muller, Woodthorpe Gardens, Wakefield.

AFTER John Blundell’s letter, I find that following excavation works by utilities, the roads or pavements are repaired very well.

Potholes are formed when there is a crack in the surface of the road allowing water to get into the deeper layers of the Tarmac.

In the winter when the water freezes it expands and so breaks up the deeper layers of the road surface. Cars running over this area push the stones apart and so the pothole forms which expands as more cars pass over this area.

Filling in the pothole with Tarmac, and not sealing the edges, leaves a crack for more water to undermine the road surface again. At the next period of freezing weather, the process starts all over again.

The correct method is shown to us by the utilities, that is to cut out a square of Tarmac until you come to firm road surface, seal the edges and then fill in the pothole.