Salford’s roads have been slammed as ‘the worst’ by a local councillor, who claims that the borough is plagued by potholes.
Councillor Andrew Walters, who represents Kersal and Broughton Park for Salford City Council, has slammed the conditions of the roads in the ward saying that the potholes are ‘out of control’.
He said that the issue in Broughton points to a wider problem across Salford’s roads, which he described as “the worst” he’s experienced.
“Potholes are out of control,” he said. “I spent an afternoon last week ‘touring’ the hotspots, together with the Lead Member and Head of Highways.
“Due to funding issues, even when potholes are repaired, it is often a ‘quick-fix’ which is more expensive in the longer term. Thus, we are driving around, attempting to avoid what look like Martian craters.”
The council, which said it was working “incredibly hard” to improve the roads, confirmed via Facebook comments that certain cases have been reported and are awaiting inspection.
If not for the MCR bus in the background, one could think we're examining craters on Mars.
In advance of a scheduled drive-through this week with senior officers and the Lead Member, we've done a pre run and have identified eleven stretches of road that are unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/Tt2qrCnjL3
— Cllr Walters (@CllrWalters) March 10, 2024
In the ongoing battle against potholes on Salford roads, the allocated budget for pothole repairs in the 2023/24 financial year is £635,000.
This funding is part of the Pothole Action Fund Programme, which aims to address road surface issues, particularly focusing on carriageways.
Additionally, there’s an upcoming allocation of £557,000, which can be utilised in both 2023/24 and 2024/25.
Cllr Walters, who is an Independent, has urged the council to do a “proper” resurfacing of roads rather than just filling in the potholes.
Back in January 2023, Salford Now reported that a large-scale pothole repair project will use £698,000 in infrastructure funding to repair major potholes on carriageways around Salford.
The plan, run by Salford City Council, will utilise money from remaining provisions distributed between the 10 Greater Manchester districts given to the area by the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS).
However, a new report by the Asphalt Industry Alliance has found that the rate of pothole repairs on local roads in England and Wales has reached an eight-year high. According to the AIA, highways are heading towards “breaking point”.
Salford Council was approached for comment but did not respond before publication.
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