Potholes in Southampton on Belvidere Road

Cracks and potholes covered in muddy puddles can be seen along the section of Belvidere Road in the city’s St. Mary’s area.

However, new government funding means blown tires and damaged suspension could be a thing of the past.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced in Wednesday’s spring budget that £200m would be set aside for road repairs across the country.

And that these funds will rise to £700m in the 2023/24 financial year.

However, the cost of restoring local pothole roads in England and Wales has been estimated at £12.6bn.

Outside of Southampton, Hampshire County Council is expected to receive just under £6m to be spent directly on repairing potholes in the area.

Counselor Nick Adams-King, Chief of Service, said: “We know that the condition of our roads and footpaths is a top priority for our local residents, and our road crews have been constantly working with our contractor Milestone to keep our network safe.” place Condition”.

He said the council had repaired more than 16,000 potholes in the past three months alone.

A recent analysis by the Local Government Association found that government spending on motorway and main road maintenance in England was 31 times the cost per mile of repairing local roads last year.

In his budget speech, Mr Hunt said the “wet and then cold winter” meant he had “strong evidence” from MPs and councilors about the “curse of potholes.”

Potholes often form when water trapped in cracks in the pavement freezes and expands.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “There won’t be a single road user in the country who doesn’t dodge potholes every day, so any extra money to help patch them is welcome.

“But it’s worth remembering that there are 300,000 miles of roads in England alone, so the extra £200m will be thinly spread.

“We must not forget that road maintenance goes beyond the pavement, for example, to bridges.

“Municipalities also need money to support the thousands of substandard hybrids that our research has shown.”