The last of the snow is expected to melt away over the next few days, thanks to a combination of rain and sunny spells.
But its legacy will remain for some time - in the shape of some tyre-deflatingly huge potholes.
West Sussex County Council, which is responsible for maintaining roads, spent £2.5million repairing potholes after last year’s winter damage.
It’s fair to say that this year’s winter has reached a whole new level of severity, and could hit the council hard at a time when chiefs are trying to make financial cutbacks in order to keep Council Tax rises to a minimum (see page 2).
But at this stage the council admits it “cannot estimate how much the cost of this winter will be.”
Across the country it has been estimated that the snow has caused as extra 322,731 potholes.
Some councils have requested special additional funding from the government to deal with the problem, with Northamptonshire asking for £5million, but as The Resident went to press the county council had not confirmed if they would make a similar plea.
However, The Department for Transport said that it would consider local authority requests for extra funds.
West Sussex County Council does operate special pothole patrols, and they have been working since the start of December.
But due to the sheer number of potholes, the operations team are often having to make temporary repairs. Huge and potentially dangerous potholes at locations such as Buck Barn crossroads and along The Bishopric have been quickly filled in, but are already starting to come apart again.
Potholes are formed by water penetrating the asphalt surface of a road through cracks. When temperatures drop, the water freezes, expands and causes the surface to rupture.
When the ice melts, it leaves a void below the surface, which caves in under the stress of vehicles and forms a pothole.
A spokeswoman for West Sussex County Council said: “We would ask people to be patient and drive with increased care because last year potholes were appearing faster than we could fill them.
“Because of the number of potholes
where we cannot undertake a permanent repair straight away we will put in a temporary filling for safety."
"We do rely on the public to supplement our own inspections, and people can report potholes on 01243 642105 or www.westsussex.gov.uk
Subscribe