Pothole blitz across the Isle of Axholme

Repair crews will be out in force across the Isle of Axholme, fixing potholes and damaged pavements in a blitz covering dozens of locations.

By the end of February, pot holes in Belton, Epworth, Haxey, Owston Ferry, Wroot, Amcotts, Crowle, Garthorpe and Fockerby, Eastoft, Luddington and Haldenby, and Keadby and Althorpe, will have been fixed in key village streets, connecting lanes and rural roads.

In the last two week, hundreds of potholes have been fixed  – with more than 200 tonnes of new tarmac laid across North Lincolnshire, using a mix of temporary safety repairs and longer-lasting permanent fixes.

Crews are now working parish by parish across the Isle through February to repair dozens more potholes across villages and rural routes, tackling the defects in one coordinated programme.

Cllr Rob Waltham, leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “Residents are rightly fed up with potholes. This programme is about getting on with the job – fixing the roads people actually use every day and doing it efficiently.”

As well as fixing potholes across the Isle, the council is carrying out major resurfacing works in Epworth on High Street and Carrside this February and March, going beyond temporary repairs to fully renew worn road surfaces.

Maddeningly, potholes appear most often in winter – but winter is also the hardest time to repair them properly. Cold, wet conditions make it difficult for materials to bond, and freeze-thaw cycles and heavy traffic can quickly break repairs down.

As a result, many fixes in recent weeks have been temporary safety repairs and can look a little messy. Longer-lasting repairs follow in spring and summer, when conditions improve.

Cllr Tim Mitchell, cabinet member for sustainability and transformation, said: “We’re addressing the potholes across North Lincolnshire but we’re being co-ordinated and targeted in our approach – that makes it more efficient.”

Work will be carried out as weather conditions allow, with crews moving between locations to minimise disruption.

Residents are asked to take care around temporary traffic management and signage while repairs are completed.