North East Lincolnshire Council’s Highways team is working hard to repair a surge in potholes caused by last winter’s severe weather.
In the current financial year (2026 – 2027), more than 16km of local roads are scheduled for resurfacing, and this programme is expected to grow over the next four years.
How potholes form
The start of January 2026 brought freezing temperatures, snowfall, and then persistent heavy rain. The Met Office says our region saw more than 134% of the average rainfall for this time of year, which has had a major impact on local roads.
Cold weather and heavy rain are tough on road surfaces. Water seeps into small cracks and then freezes, expanding and damaging the surface. When traffic drives over these weakened spots, potholes can quickly form.
How we identify potholes
North East Lincolnshire has 618km of roads, all of which are routinely inspected to keep them safe.
The Council also receives information and acts on community reports about potholes on local roads, footpaths or cycleway – the easiest way is to visit the Council’s website – Potholes.
Inspections
Since early December, our five‑person Highway inspection team has carried out around 4,600 planned inspections, including planned maintenance inspections and reports raised by the public.
Repairs are primarily identified through planned, reoccurring safety inspections and are prioritised based on the size and depth of a pothole as well as, the location and speed of road. Repair times can range from 24 hours to three working months. High‑priority issues may receive a temporary fix first to keep the road safe.
This year, there has been additional rainfall nationally, with a 56-day stretch of poor weather earlier in the year, causing highways authorities across the country additional pressure to tackle pothole repairs.
In North East Lincolnshire alone, our checks, since December, there have been 3500m2 of tarmac reinstated, with approximately 30 potholes filled per day, or around 600 a month. Some areas of tarmac replaced include multiple potholes, or slightly bigger patch repairs.
How potholes are repaired
Our crews aim to make permanent repairs wherever possible. Depending on the condition of the road, they may:
- Cut out the failed road surface and replace damaged surfacing using hot materials
- Use thermal road repair technology to reheat and re-level the existing surface, reducing waste and creating a strong bond
- Occasionally temporary repairs may be carried out while a more permanent, and long-lasting solution is planned in. This could be on busy junctions, for example which would require traffic management to complete the works.
Looking ahead
We have had better weather and drier roads over the last two months (March and April), so the peak of winter road surface deterioration has passed. Highway teams are continuing to address new emergency potholes that form, and are catching up on more routine road surfacing work caused by this year’s unprecedented spell of wet weather.
To report potholes in your area, visit the Council’s website, and search for “potholes”.
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