Work began today on fixing the huge number of potholes across Edinburgh that have appeared during the recent bout of freezing conditions. City infrastructure has been ravaged by the most severe winter weather since the 1960’s. Ice has formed and expanded in the tarmac, opening up cracks and craters across Edinburgh's roads, pavements and cycleways.
Additional contractors have been brought in to aid Council Roads Maintenance staff to fix some of the worst hit roads in the city on a priority basis. There are twelve four-man external squads, two per Neighbourhood area, from two companies Lightways and M&M Surfacing.
A full inspection programme was already underway before Christmas to identify the roads needing repair but work could only start today as the quarries that supply the material needed for the hot repairs was closed over the festive period.
With around 1,268 km of roads and 128 km of cycle ways – the Council carries out 40,000 road and pavement repairs in a normal year. Last winter around 10,000 permanent repairs were carried out in a six week period in February and March compared to 3,500 in 2009. Figures for this year’s winter are likely to have increased this figure again.
“Council staff and contractors have already been out working to fix the worst potholes and we are now able to concentrate on carrying out a programme of permanent repairs throughout the city. This will enable us to maintain improvements already made through an increase in spending on roads in recent years," said Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, Convener of the Council's Transport, Infrastructure & Environment Committee.
“Like other local authorities in Scotland, we will be seeking to work with the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland to discuss ways of tacking the problem including bringing forward capital investment before the end of the current financial year.”