GUEST VIEW: gritting crews on standby during Easter

It may be officially spring, but county council gritting crews remain on standby with weather forecasts suggesting a '˜white' Easter for Nottinghamshire.

It has felt like a particularly long, harsh winter and the gritting teams have been doing a sterling job in these tough conditions.

They have already been out on twice as many runs compared to last winter – clocking up 120,000 more kilometres on the county’s roads.

And not only are the gritting crews in high demand this time of year – it is also by far the busiest time for the road repair teams too.

The recent freezing conditions have led to more potholes than usual.

Potholes are caused by water seeping into pavement and asphalt cracks.

This water expands inside of the pavement when frozen, creating a weak patch.

As vehicles drive over this weak patch and further freeze/thaw cycles extend the damage, a pothole begins to form.

With the volume of gritting activity needed so far this winter, the amount of salt has exacerbated the problem because it keeps water in liquid form at a lower temperature, and while this is vital to help ensure the road surface does not freeze, it does make the pothole more prevalent.

The amount of pothole repairs needed has also doubled – nearly twice as many as the previous winter spell.

This is why the council is investing more in pothole repairs as that it is the number one highways concern for residents.

The council really appreciates the way that hundreds of people have got in touch to report a pothole and please carry on playing your part in helping keep the road network safe.

To report a pothole ,you can go online at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk or calling 0300 500 80800 and if you wish to be kept updated on progress, simply include your email address.