Britain’s pothole epidemic now exceeds one million holes, roughly six per mile of road, and experts say the surge is tied to long‑term maintenance choices rather than short‑term fixes.
Government funding meets a shifting strategy
The Department for Transport has earmarked £7.3 billion for road work over the next four years, urging councils to adopt preventative maintenance instead of reacting only after potholes appear. Officials note a 15 percent rise in preventive work last year, but drivers returning from trips to Germany, France or the Netherlands still notice smoother surfaces abroad.
Winter repairs are a weak link
Nick Thom, an assistant professor of civil engineering at the University of Nottingham, points to seasonal repairs as a clear problem. “Pothole filling carried out in winter is usually done as a cheap emergency repair, without proper preparation of the surrounding surfaces and with materials that are not designed to last more than a few months,” he said.
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Winter crews often use cold‑asphalt mixes that can be placed in wet conditions, but those blends lack durability. Thom cites research by a PhD student showing that such repairs are prone to “major fretting,” where stones detach from the road surface, accelerating deterioration.
From hot rolled to thin surface courses
About a quarter‑century ago the UK began replacing hot rolled asphalt (HRA) with thin surface course systems. The change was marketed as a way to cut road noise and spray, yet Thom argues the new material was intended for high‑speed routes, not the slower secondary roads that make up much of the network.
“The material was really designed for faster roads, like A‑roads and motorways,” Thom said. “But around the same time many local authorities decided to follow the same approach on secondary roads. Where speeds are much lower, and spray not an issue, HRA would have been a much better solution. I would say we as a nation got it wrong.”
HRA can endure more than 30 years, whereas many thin surfacing layers require replacement after 10 to 15 years. The shorter lifespan contributes to the growing pothole count, according to the university study.
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Industry view: a perfect storm
Mike Hansford, head of the Road Surface Treatments Association, cautions against blaming thin layers alone. “It was almost like a perfect storm, because we introduced these thin surface course systems and at the same time stopped doing all the surface dressing on the scale we had been doing,” he explained.
He also notes a loss of experienced engineers, creating knowledge gaps around proper treatment methods. “Thin surface course systems depend far more heavily on preventative treatments such as asphalt preservation or rejuvenation, surface dressing or microsurfacing, to protect and seal the road surface,” Hansford said.
How other countries handle similar challenges
Malcolm Simms of the Asphalt Industry Alliance emphasizes that preventive work cannot fully compensate for weak foundations. “If you have a weak foundation and you put something relatively thin on top of it, you still don’t have the strength underneath,” he said.
Funding timeline and realistic expectations
Hansford is optimistic that the longer‑term funding commitment, extending to 2029/2030, will eventually improve the network if councils use the money wisely. Simms, however, warns that the £18.62 billion backlog in England and Wales could take about 12 years to clear, even before accounting for ongoing projects.
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“You’re talking at least 10 years,” Simms added. “If the work was actually done to get to improved conditions, authorities tell us they could then reduce their budget demands by a billion pounds a year.” The timeline suggests drivers may not notice a stark difference for a decade or more.
Drivers notice the difference daily.
What lies ahead for British roads
While the funding boost signals a shift toward longer‑term planning, the combination of thin surfacing choices, reduced surface dressing, and seasonal emergency repairs continues to undermine road quality. As the UK works through its backlog, the contrast with continental neighbours may remain evident for some time.