POTHOLES!
January 24th, 2011We have received the following communication from Robert Booth, Director of LES. Please note the number for the Council’s freephone reporting service, RALF: 0800 37 36 35.
“For the third year running, extreme winter weather has taken a heavy toll on our road network – but not just a Glasgow issue, a national one, with even parts of the motorway network disintegrating.
Predictably reported potholes are on the increase and LES resources (7 squads currently – would normally be 2) have been concentrating on repairing as many as possible.
The £8M roads investment strategy is well advanced and has provided real improvements. The last progress update in October reported that:-
Commitment Progress to Date
Permanently repair 10,000 potholes over 8,000 complete
300 roads to be resurfaced 200 completed
90 junctions to be resurfaced 100% complete
20% of city centre roads resurfaced 20% complete
150 high quality manhole repairs 100% complete
Despite these improvements the road network is continuing to deteriorate – a process which has been accelerated by the severe weather conditions.
In 2010 the published SCOTS Road Maintenance Backlog Calculation for Glasgow city Council was in excess of £70M. This figure is calculated on an annual basis using national survey data and represents the one off spend to bring our roads back to an acceptable condition.
For the remainder of this financial year it will be necessary to divert funding from planned carriageway resurfacing work to repairing potholes and other defects caused by the severe weather. Further details of any resurfacing schemes requiring to be rescheduled will be provided in due course.
In the meantime, should you receive any reports of potholes or other road defects from any of your constituents, I would respectfully encourage you to direct them to the Council’s freephone reporting service, RALF on 0800 37 36 35 since this route will provide the most efficient service.”