MORE than half a million pounds extra is to be ploughed into fixing potholes after an extreme winter.

West Sussex County Council has also launched a pothole crack squad in a bid to tackle the problem which causes misery and expense for motorists.

It comes after a volatile first three months of the year, in which we experienced frequent changes between freezing temperatures to mild weather and back again.

This caused a big increase in the number of

potholes on roads across the county.

The county council, which is responsible for maintaining 2,500 miles of road, has already repaired 11,000 potholes this year.

The additional £540,000 being put up by the council is enough to fill 2,000 extra repairs.

Two new “seek and fill” gangs will also be roving around the roads looking for potholes, in addition to the 15 teams already repairing potholes.

Bob Lanzer, county council cabinet member for highways and infrastructure, said: “The extra £540,000 is great news and further proof of just how seriously we take the pothole problem in West Sussex and that we have listened to residents and how important they feel this issue is.

“West Sussex Highways, working with our contractor, Balfour Beatty Living Places, are working hard to tackle the problem.

“The total number of pothole enquiries we are

receiving is already declining as we make progress in repairing the winter weather damage.

“Unfortunately, roads are not permanent structures, so they will never be totally pothole-free.

“But we’re winning this post-winter battle and the funding boost will be a big help.”

The half a million is in addition to the extra resources, such as the roving seek and fill teams, which are being funded from the £1,594,870 the county council

received from the Department for Transport’s Pothole Action Fund for this financial year.

Roads deteriorate over time from constant use, the weight of vehicles using them and the effects of the weather.

With the expansion and contraction caused by temperature change, deterioration will occur, resulting in new potholes.

Repairing defects, such as potholes, is done on a priority basis, dependent on size and depth.

The roads are inspected dependent on their hierarchy.

People can report concerns about potholes online using the city council’s Love West Sussex app.

While the county council is responsible for most roads in West Sussex, Highways England is responsible for, and maintains, the A27, A23 and M23.