Highways News from KCC
Press Release - 5 March 2024
Millions in extra cash to fill Kent’s pothole backlog
Kent County Council (KCC) is getting ready to plough millions in extra cash into tackling road defects, helping to keep Kent moving.
Additional funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) worth £8.6 million will be spent between March and October this year.
The financial boost is on top of about £50 million already pledged in KCC’s own road and footway planned maintenance budget.
The Pothole Blitz will be delivered using additional contractors and focus on medium to large scale resurfacing, making permanent first-time fixes.
Specialist equipment, including miniature planers, pavers and diggers, will be used to ensure the repairs can be made with minimal disruption to the travelling public.
KCC’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Neil Baker said: “Between April and December 2023 we repaired 54,814 potholes and mended or resurfaced more than 416,991m2 of road, which is equivalent to 57 Wembley football pitches.
“Kent’s roads are among the busiest in the country, which is why throughout the winter we have been responding to reports of potholes by completing emergency repairs where defects present a risk to safety.
“With the weather improving we are turning our attention to completing permanent fixes the first time we visit the site, so the travelling public can be confident that repairs will last.”
Roads Minister, Guy Opperman said: "Motorists and roads users in Kent deserve safe, modern and smooth roads they can rely on. That’s why it’s great to see Kent County Council making the most of the additional funding from the Government to tackle road defects and speed-up journeys.
“As we continue to put drivers back in the driving seat, the £135 million of additional funding we are providing over the next 11 years will help ensure that more and more roads all across Kent can be resurfaced.”
People are asked to continue to report potholes at www.kent.gov.uk/potholes using our dedicated fault reporting tool.
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Press Release - 31 July 2023 - Key move forward in repairing Kent’s roads.
Key steps have been taken to ensure Kent County Council (KCC) can continue to keep the travelling public safe on our roads.
KCC received an additional £6 million in government funding to ensure potholes and safety critical defects can be repaired as soon as possible. This means the total investment in road and footway maintenance repairs and resurfacing this financial year is expected to be in the order of £50 million.
This work has been going on since winter when Kent’s roads were battered with wintry and icy conditions and will continue throughout the summer autumn months.
Six additional contactors have been appointed by KCC to ensure the required resources are on hand to successfully deliver the level of repair needed over this short period of time.
Specialist equipment such as the Pothole Pro machine can also be deployed, which speeds up the removal of the old, damaged road surface and makes working more efficient. It removes the need for roadworkers to break up the road using conventional road tools, meaning works are safer and roads can be reopened sooner.
KCC’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, David Brazier, said: “We know how disruptive and frustrating it is for the travelling public when potholes are left untreated.
“This additional investment is allowing us to work faster and smarter to ensure the travelling public in Kent continue to be safe in moving around the county.
“Our roadworkers are on the frontline every day, working hard to ensure we repair all faults that we are made aware of as we work to win the battle against potholes.”
KCC’s highway stewards prioritise reports of damage received from members of the public, as well as those picked up in our own routine inspections.
Residents can continue to report issues on our roads by using the fault reporting tool at www.kent.gov.uk/highways.
ENDS