IT’S BACK! JOIN OUR SEARCH FOR THE CITY’S WORST POTHOLES...
Help us spot the city’s worst potholes and call for repair action on our city’s roads
WINTER is here and that means more potholes.
As the cold and ice take their toll, road surfaces can crumble and minor defects become dangerous potholes.
Last winter the severe conditions led to a deterioration of the city’s road network with more potholes and damaged road surfaces and complaints to the council soared.
And because the potholes don’t go away, neither does the Evening Times as we campaign for better roads in Glasgow.
We want you to help us identify the city’s worst potholes and where the council needs to send the repair squads to.
If you drive on a road regularly that has a crater that needs filled, get in touch to let us know.
If you notice a new pothole has appeared on a street, tell us where.
We are looking for your photos and videos of potholes. We want to highlight the streets that need repairs.
Let us know if your car has been damaged by driving over a pothole and if you have contacted the council to complain.
If you have a dash cam and have footage of your car or other cars going over a pothole share it with us and fellow readers.
Our photographers have captured some deep potholes so far, in the first two weeks of this year.
Already we have spotted crumbling road surfaces and deep potholes in the middle of the carriageways that cars need to swerve to avoid.
We found many craters, making driving on main roads hazardous across the city.
But we know there are many more and want the public to help name the worst, and we call can for the council to take action to get them repaired.
Last year our Evening Times Spothole campaign led to your pictures of potholes all over the city.
Many, if not all, will have been repaired since then but the nature of road maintenance and winter weather means they will re-appear and new holes will emerge.
Which means there are always potholes needing to be treated.
While the council has invested increased amounts of cash in patching and resurfacing, there is always a backlog and just standing still costs millions of pounds each year.
A council report on budget options produced in November last year stated that to maintain the carriageways at their current state would cost more than £12m a year.
To improve it significantly would require extra investment and £116m over five years could provide surfaces that compare to the trunk
‘‘ The severity and extent of last winter caused widespread damage
road network.
The report by George Gillespie, executive director of Neighbourhoods and Sustainability, stated: “The overall condition of our roads improved steadily between 2013 and 2017 with pothole and claim reports reducing significantly.
“However, the severity and extent of last winter caused widespread damage.
“The underlying structural condition of our roads remains a significant concern.”
Potholes are the most common complaint received by the council
Between April 2017 and April 2018 Glasgow City Council received 688 potholerelated claims 239 more than in 2016/17.
And from April to August last year there were 267 attempts to get compensation, and the council paid out £139,907 in the last two years.