Council trying to tackle the continuing pothole problem

West Sussex County Council said road maintenance crews have been fixing defects at a rate of up to 1,250 potholes a week.

The workforce includes six dedicated pothole patrol gangs funded by Operation Watershed, the county council’s £8.25m initiative which is dealing with issues caused by flooding around West Sussex.

County council cabinet member for Highways and Transport, Pieter Montyn, said: “We are doing everything we can as an authority to repair our roads and clear the backlog of potholes that have been reported to us.

“If you do spot a pothole, don’t assume someone else has reported it, make sure you report it to us yourself.

“You can do this by reporting it online, via the Love West Sussex smartphone app, or by calling us directly.”

A county council spokesman said: “Record levels of rainfall saturated the ground around the county earlier this year, causing puddles and flooding to emerge on the roads.

“The surface water makes existing potholes worse because it acts as a lubricant and breaks them up whenever vehicles pass over them.

It also accelerates the rate new potholes appear.”

Report a pothole to the council by calling 01243 642105.

Do you think West Sussex County Council are doing enough to fix the pothole problem?

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