Stronger Roads Today
Hampshire County Council is deploying extra resources to strengthen the county’s 5,500 miles of roads as quickly and efficiently as possible.
To do this, we’re investing an additional £22.5 million 2024 to 2025 - on top of our existing highway maintenance budgets and the Government grant funding we receive from the Department for Transport.
We’re making Hampshire’s roads stronger.
Fixing more potholes and road defects, thanks to…- £22.5m extra investment
- A repair approx. every two minutes
- 180,909 repairs a year (2023 to 2024)
Why are there more potholes on our roads currently?
What happens when you report a pothole to us?
How quickly will a pothole be repaired?
- We will generally make safe and repair potholes based on a risk assessment of the severity and likelihood of it causing damage. The timescales for a repair will usually vary between 24 hours and two months.
- We do not normally prioritise the repair of potholes that are less than 40mm deep on any road, but we will review them at the next scheduled inspection. They may also be repaired as part of planned works or alongside other local repair works.
How are potholes repaired?
Repair techniques
Dragon patchers
Our dragon patchers can quickly repair larger, shallower, areas of carriageway that have deteriorated using spray-injection. This technique is not suitable for all repairs but it can be particularly effective on rural roads.
Infrared patching
This is an innovative technique that uses infrared heaters to soften the existing road material around a defect so it can be mixed with a rejuvenating product and then mechanically pressed firmly back into place. This method creates a seamless and durable repair that can be completed quickly with minimal traffic disruption.
Infill repairs
Infill repairs involve cleaning the base of the pothole area, spraying the base with a sealing agent, filling the hole with either hot or cold road repair material, and mechanically packing down the material to ensure it is level. This process helps restore the surface quickly and remove the hazard.
Additionally, during periods when the likelihood of potholes forming increases, for example during the colder and wetter months, our 'Find and Fix’ pothole gangs are deployed across Hampshire to speed up pothole repairs. These gangs can repair defects as they find them, usually by carrying out infill repairs.
Our longer-term maintenance programme
When multiple potholes and other defects have occurred in a specific location, it is likely that the road structure will need more extensive – and costly – repairs to extend its life.
As well as carrying out pothole and other road defect repairs we have a programme of larger scale work to ensure Hampshire's roads are more resilient to the effects of wetter, freezing weather and heavy traffic. These works include, carriageway and footway resurfacing, surface treatments and structural drainage repairs.
Some of the work we do is dependent on the weather, requiring road surfaces to be dry, so our programme can sometimes be subject to change at short notice.
Our engineers will routinely carry out electronic condition scanning on all main roads and they will visually inspect all other roads. They will then use this data, together with other information that we hold such as the amount of reactive maintenance that has taken place, to help identify the priority sites that justify further work.
Treatment types
Surface dressing
Surface dressing is used where the road surface is in a reasonably good structural condition, but requires a preservative treatment to seal the surface and prevent water penetration and restore skid resistance. With this type of treatment a large area can be covered very quickly and at relatively low cost.
Micro surfacing
Micro surfacing is a more durable process which places a slightly thicker layer of a completely new material on the existing road surface. It takes longer to apply than surface dressing and is normally used where roads are busier, and where the road would benefit from some minor reshaping.
Resurfacing
Resurfacing is carried out where a road is very badly worn and structurally weak. The existing road surface is completely removed and a new surface is laid as a replacement to provide a structurally strong road. This type of treatment can last many years.
Joint and crack sealing
Joint and crack sealing is carried out each year on all roads. This helps to prevent water getting into and underneath the road surface which can cause the structure to weaken and potholes to form.
Road closures
In order to carry out the majority of road repairs, we must by law, keep road workers, our staff and members of the public safe, so we often have to temporarily close a road.
Residents and businesses who will be directly affected by a road closure are usually notified in advance, in writing, and advised what to do, should they need to access their property/premises while the work is in progress.
How can you help us improve our roads?
Reporting potholes and other highway issues to the County Council plays a vital role in helping us to maintain Hampshire’s roads. You can report road defects including potholes and other road issue via the OurHants app, or online where you can also track the progress of your enquiry.
More teams deployed to fix potholes and improve safety
We're deploying more teams to fix potholes and other defects on Hampshire’s roads. The County Council's Cabinet Member for Highways, Councillor Lulu Bowerman, has shared this update on our work to make roads stronger and safer following a visit to our highways depot in Bishops Waltham.