Derbyshire County Council has issued a further update on its ongoing work to fix potholes across the county.
The message to residents across the county was issued via the council’s Facebook page.
A spokesman said: “Following our recent open letters, we know our roads remain a key issue.
“Our highways teams are carrying out as many repairs as possible as quickly as they can – thank you to them.
“They were out over the bank holiday weekend and continue to fill over 20,00 potholes a week.
“They’ve also been resurfacing hundreds of hotspot sites over the last few months.”
The spokesman continued: “There’s lots more to do, so we’ve still got extra teams on, and we’ve also now got Jetpatchers filling potholes too.
“We know this post will likely prompt a debate, and you might also have seen our recent FAQs. To focus on one of the topics that comes up is materials and how long repairs last.
“Materials and chemicals used today have changed from previous decades due to concerns over the effects of the chemicals used then on health and the environment.
“Coal tar isn’t used anymore because it’s pretty nasty stuff for operators and for the planet. Where it was used, it also deteriorates at a faster rate.
“We’re looking into what new materials and technology we can use and will last the longest. We’re also doing some trials of new options as we need to make sure they are right for our county.”
The council spokesman added: “Derbyshire is one of the only county councils to have its own laboratory so we can test things out and check on the quality of repairs and works done.
“We also have to adapt pothole repairs and resurfacing on the different roads across the county. A few examples of the difference in the make-up of our roads are pictured.
“One is an older road which, when cored by our lab, has crumbled making it more likely to suffer potholes and repairs are less likely to last. Next to it is a newer road which is tightly compacted.
“We’re resurfacing as many areas we can, sealing out water to protect local roads. Our resources only stretch so far so we have to prioritise – but we’ll keep working and making the case for more investment to tackle this too.”

Read other pothole updates from the county council here

To report any potholes go to here

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