After diversions and road closures, flat tyres and broken axles, we ask what causes potholes and why do they reappear so soon after resurfacing?
Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
Most drivers know that sickening lurch that means you have hit another pothole. But new potholes are not quite as frustrating as the ones that reappear after being fixed – and reappear again after being fixed again.
Many readers will remember the famous pothole in Belchalwell, decorated with a Christmas tree by residents, a couple of years ago. Once the festive statement had been noticed, the hole was repaired fairly promptly.
Two years on, the road is once again seriously cracked. The pothole is back, this time decorated with a traffic cone and two wrecked tyres.
(It has since been filled in – again.)
Local motorists are constantly on the alert for notoriously holey roads. With roadworks season also having begun across the county, a lot of work is happening to the road network.
How many potholes are there in Dorset?
Each year, Dorset Council repairs more than 20,000 highways defects, including potholes, and it is on target to fix the same quantity this year. The council aims to fix the highest risk potholes within 32 hours of reporting, but allows up to 28 days for minor risk potholes. However, data from Dorset Council shows that carriageway potholes are on the rise across the county (and everywhere).
A spokesperson said: ‘The volume of defects identified and repaired fluctuates throughout the year and is influenced by a range of factors including seasonal effects, prolonged periods of bad weather and changes in traffic levels. For example, colder and wetter conditions typically lead to a higher rate of deterioration, which in turn results in a spike in reported defects.
‘At present, there are 270 pothole-type defects logged for repair across Dorset. This represents a snapshot in time within a continually changing network: new defects are identified daily, and prioritised based on safety risk, severity and available resources. As such, both the annual repair figures and the number of outstanding defects will naturally vary over time.’
Are potholes increasing?
Dorset Council saw a 92% increase in potholes across the county in the first months of 2026. During January and February, the highways department repaired 3,000 potholes. Much of that was down to the winter weather, with the relentless freeze/thaw cycle that weakens road surfaces. The continual rainfall and flooding in January, including storms Goretti and Chandra, further weakened the roads. These all significantly damaged road surfaces, leading to hundreds of potholes opening up in a short space of time.
A recent report by the RAC highlights heavy traffic levels as another factor in damaging roads. The weight and sheer volume of traffic can significantly impact road surfaces. A 1.9% increase in vehicle journeys reported across the UK in 2025 may sound like an insignificant increase, but it equates to another 49,609 miles added to the 2.61 billion vehicle miles being driven across the UK. Heavier cars such as SUVs are also responsible for further damage on Britain’s roads. Increased purchases of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) – some figures state SUVs were 10 per cent of the market in 2010 and more than 60 per cent in 2025 – add to the problems. Some SUVs can exert up to five times more force on the road than a traditional passenger car. Typically, an SUV can weigh 200-300 kg more than smaller cars and the cumulative effect of these vehicles adds to road surface damage. The irony is that many people buy an SUV, with its strong body and high clearance, just because of the state of the roads.
How much does a pothole repair cost?
The budget is a significant issue for road repairs. Dorset Council has recently approved measures that make up to an additional £5.25m available to tackle flood impacts and cut the risk of future disruption.
The package includes a £5m capital ‘flood resilience fund’ to target known hotspots and repair storm damaged sections, plus £250,000 for a new, dedicated gully cleaning crew to clear gullies that have been inundated by storms, to help keep water moving during heavy rain. At first glance a healthy budget, but when compared to the £193 million adult social care budget, it is a relatively minor fund.
According to Dorset Council, ‘The cost to repair potholes varies due to a number of factors including depth, size, material, location etc.
‘Dorset Council aims to undertake permanent repairs first time wherever possible. The best approach is a full, excavated repair, where the damaged section of carriageway is removed, the base is inspected and reinstated if necessary, new material is properly compacted and excavation joints are sealed. This method provides the longest-lasting result and addresses the root cause of the defect, rather than just the surface symptoms.
‘Long term, it is more cost-effective to carry out a fully excavated road repair. But due to the nature of the highway itself, it is not always possible, and temporary or reactive repairs are used to prevent accidents and further damage.’
Can we prevent potholes?
Engineers are constantly looking at ways to improve road repairs. In 2025 Redcar and Cleveland Council worked with Universal Matter GBR Ltd on a world first, testing a new graphene product on a potholed road in Teeside. Graphene is a versatile material made of single carbon atoms in a honeycomb pattern. In this study it was mixed with asphalt, aimed at improving the durability of road surfaces and preventing potholes from occurring. Although it will take several years to evaluate the effectiveness of the product, it could be a promising solution to the pothole plague.
The highways department is reliant on the public reporting potholes via the council’s online portal.
