Number of pothole fixing crews more than doubled as cases surge
23/01/2026
Around 37,000 potholes were reported in the county during the last twelve months
The number of crews dealing with potholes in Oxfordshire has more than doubled, from seven to sixteen, following a rise in the number being reported after recent wet and freezing conditions.
Its hoped the additional workforce with reduce the backlog.
Oxfordshire County Council says the heavy rainfall and then colder weather from mid-December into January created a cycle of freezing and thawing – perfect conditions for creating new potholes.
They categorise all reported potholes based on size, location on the road and the speed of the road, with the aim of repairing the most serious within two hours. The rest either have either a 24-hour target, or 28 days.
Of the 28 day jobs around 875 (35 percent of the total) missed their deadlines by a few days.
Crews have also been faced with many larger potholes, requiring more labour intensive and time consuming repair methods.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “It has been a difficult winter, but we are actively looking to improve the situation on our roads by making more resources available to repair potholes as quickly as possible.
“Our highways teams work very hard in all weathers and conditions to maintain the 3,000 miles of road for which we are responsible. We know how important the condition of our highways is for our residents, which is why we are taking positive action.”
More than 41,000 highways defects were reported to the council in the last 12 months, around 90 percent of which were potholes.
Members of the public are encouraged to report potholes using www.fixmystreet.com.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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