DORSET County Council has had 1,800 potholes reported on the roads in just three weeks.

And the spiralling cost to repair Dorset’s crumbling roads could be as much as £135,000.

The repair bill comes after the county has been battered for weeks by heavy rain and bad weather.

And as temperatures drop in the coming weeks the problem could get worse as ice causes further damage to the roads.

Since the start of the New Year, 1,800 potholes have been reported to Dorset County Council, along with a further 1,200 other highway-related issues.

Normally the county council said they get around 120 emergency call-outs a month.

The county council said the approximate cost of repairing a pothole, depending on the type of repair that needs to be done, is around £50 to £75 each.

So to fix all 1,800 potholes DCC will be facing an approximate bill of around £90,000 to £135,000.

A total of 35 teams are currently out and about on Dorset’s roads fixing the potholes and defects.

The county council said it was extremely important that if people saw potholes they report them immediately so that they can be repaired.

Once a problem is reported the potholes are ranked for repair based on the level of risk to road users – namely its location, size, depth and the sort of road on which it occurs.

Andrew Martin, head of the county council’s highways operations, said: “Potholes and other road defects happen when water is trapped in the road surface.

“When water freezes it expands – causing the surface to break up.

“So freezing weather after the recent wet conditions will mean that we expect more potholes and defects to appear.”

He added: “Our crews will continue to repair defects whatever the weather. “We aim to repair potholes that present an immediate hazard to motorists within 32 hours and all other defects within 28 days.

“With the present number of reports we are doing our best to keep to this commitment.”

How to report a problem

TO report an urgent road problem including flooding and fallen trees call 01305 221020. Potholes and road defects can be reported online at dorsetforyou. com – search for road and pavement maintenance and fill in the online form.

The chairman of the Dorset Institute for Advanced Motorists, John Haywood, said it was important to drive according to the conditions of the road and this included both the weather and road conditions.

He said: “The potholes are a lot worse on unclassified country roads where they haven’t been repaired so quickly because, as I understand it, Dorset County Council repair the A and B roads quicker than unclassified roads. Obviously drivers should be aware of this and drive according to the conditions, at a speed where you can stop where you see a hazard or pothole in front of you.”

He said this was more difficult at night, or where standing water meant you couldn’t see the road as clearly.

He added: “It’s a national problem – it impacts on Dorset quite considerably because we have a high percentage of rural country roads.”

To report a pothole in Bournemouth fill in the form at bournemouth.gov.uk/Forms/StreetsTransport/ReportPothole.aspx

Drivers warned to take care

THE chairman of the Dorset Institute for Advanced Motorists, John Haywood, said it was important to drive according to the conditions of the road and this included both the weather and road conditions.

He said: “The potholes are a lot worse on unclassified country roads where they haven’t been repaired so quickly because, as I understand it, Dorset County Council repair the A and B roads quicker than unclassified roads.

"Obviously drivers should be aware of this and drive according to the conditions, at a speed where you can stop where you see a hazard or pothole in front of you."

He said this was more difficult at night, or where standing water meant you couldn’t see the road as clearly.

He added: “It’s a national problem – it impacts on Dorset quite considerably because we have a high percentage of rural country roads.”