https://medium.com/the-writers-reach/avoid-plot-holes-before-they-happen-74df7c94f286
Narrative Logic Starts With Cause and Effect. Every event in a story comes from something that happened before.
#writingcommunity #potholes #medium #narrative #causeandeffect #story #storytelling #writingtips
Swansea launches £300k pothole blitz as major M4 roundabout set for overnight resurfacing
The council said more than 760 potholes were filled in December alone, with teams now working “day and night” to keep traffic moving. Some of the busiest periods saw up to 150 new pothole reports a day as ice, snow and heavy rain caused road surfaces to crack and break up.
According to the authority, four repair teams are now travelling the city aiming to fill around 100 potholes a day, with an additional specialist crew drafted in to tackle larger patches where the top layer of road has been stripped away by the weather.
Cllr Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, Swansea Council, said the scale of the problem was being felt “right across the country”, but Swansea was “taking action to tackle the problem”.
He said the extra teams would repeat last year’s post‑Christmas campaign, which saw larger surface defects repaired at a rate of one location a day for two months.
The pothole push comes alongside the council’s wider £20m highways investment for 2025/26, which includes major resurfacing already completed in Ynysforgan, Killay, Morriston, West Cross, Birchgrove, Gowerton and Llanmorlais. Recent work has also taken place on the A4118 in South Gower and the A48 Peniel Green Road near the M4.
Highways workers laying fresh tarmac as part of Swansea Council’s winter road repair programme.Overnight works at M4 junction 44
As part of the same programme, the council confirmed that highways teams will spend the next week resurfacing the main roundabout at M4 junction 44 (Birchgrove) overnight to minimise disruption. A smaller roundabout on the B4625, which links to the westbound M4, will also be renewed.
Cllr Stevens said the junction was “a very busy part of the network” and in need of resurfacing “to keep motorists on the move”.
He added that record investment in the 2025/26 maintenance programme had allowed the council to prioritise full resurfacing schemes in areas most affected by wear and heavy traffic.
Recent resurfacing has also been completed on the A4118 at Parkmill, West Cross Avenue, Woodfield Street in Morriston and Mill Street in Gowerton.
Swansea Council maintains more than 1,000 miles of non‑motorway roads and says engineers carry out regular inspections to identify defects. The public can also report potholes directly, with the council pledging to repair as many as possible within 48 hours.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Councils face record numbers of compensation claims for pothole damage
New figures show a surge in drivers seeking payouts for damage caused by deteriorating road surfaces.
Welsh Government hails 37,000 pothole fixes but drivers still face a bumpy ride
Ministers say thousands of repairs have been completed, though motorists report worsening conditions.
Councils across south west Wales reject almost every pothole claim
Data reveals drivers are footing the bill as the vast majority of compensation claims are turned down.
Night‑time road closures as new safety upgrades head to Mumbles seafront
A major safety scheme is being rolled out on the seafront, with overnight closures planned to minimise disruption.
I went to the #Suffolk #Council website myself to report a particularly cursed pair of #potholes I'd spent the last week dodging (you have to slow down and either move more to the left or even drive in the crown of the road, which is of course only best done when there is not busy traffic)
There were already about 10 reports of the potholes, of which half have been acknowledged by SCC (with a claim the work will be done in 10 days, although this is rarely the case), the rest are still red flagged.
So if this data is being fed straight to London in its raw form, its hardly surprising SCC get a "red" status on the report, even if they *are* fixing the actual pothole (as they are not responding to citizens nor clearing duplicate reports, so look worse than they actually are)
Here are my suggestions on how to handle three kinds of metaphorical holes: assholes, potholes, and black holes.
https://www.conferencesthatwork.com/index.php/life-lessons/2023/05/assholes-potholes-black-holes
Woman dies days after falling into pothole as heartbroken family demand action
#SWBrumTRAVEL – StunningMoose5910: "Query lane bridge is not open doing pot holes hopefully"
–
#B31VoicesReaderReports
#Northfield
#Birmingham
#BirminghamUK
#PotHoles
#B31Voices #BVoices
Laurence Turner MP for Birmingham Northfield
Councillor Esther Rai - Northfield Ward
Drivers across England are able to see how well their local authority is tackling #potholes - with the launch of a new traffic light rating system!
Kingston drivers face early pothole season as freeze-thaw cycle damages roads
Kingston drivers are facing an early and severe pothole season this winter. Rapid temperature swings are crumbling asphalt, damaging vehicles and leaving city crews scrambling.
#weather #roads #damage #Kingston #Canada #Potholes
https://globalnews.ca/news/11611443/kingston-drivers-early-pothole-season-freeze-thaw-cycle-damages-roads/
Kingston drivers face early pothole season as freeze-thaw cycle damages roads
Kingston drivers are facing an early and severe pothole season this winter. Rapid temperature swings are crumbling asphalt, damaging vehicles and leaving city crews scrambling.
#weather #roads #damage #Kingston #Canada #Potholes
https://globalnews.ca/news/11611443/kingston-drivers-early-pothole-season-freeze-thaw-cycle-damages-roads/
Kingston drivers face early pothole season as freeze-thaw cycle damages roads
Kingston drivers are facing an early and severe pothole season this winter. Rapid temperature swings are crumbling asphalt, damaging vehicles and leaving city crews scrambling.
#weather #roads #damage #Kingston #Canada #Potholes
https://globalnews.ca/news/11611443/kingston-drivers-early-pothole-season-freeze-thaw-cycle-damages-roads/
It's Nid-de-poule season! :D [It's always Nid-de-poule season in Montréal!]
Via the 311 app, I've reported more than 40 potholes since January 1... the best is when they ask for a photo!
FYI 75% of these potholes in CDN-NDG existed BEFORE Winter proper... the borough just lets the snow fill them and freeze over. LOL
https://montreal.citynews.ca/2026/01/13/pothole-season-montreal-january-2026/ #polMTL #MTLpoli #potholepalooza #niddepoulooza #nidsdepoule #montreal #potholes
just remembered how last year a work colleague in #Felixstowe needed two new #tyres on the fleet car she was using - I recommended the tyre garage near the library and the second hand bookshop as it was part of same group (Hadleigh Tyres) I'd used for last 6 years with good results.
She got the tyres, and submitted invoice for the expense claim. I was initially a bit confused, as the address given was 200 metres away from where I remember the tyre garage being.
Turns out that Hadleigh Tyres do indeed have *two* branches in Felixstowe, not at all far away from one another and *both* are busy and doing well (an indictment on the state of the roads in that town)
#Suffolk #Roads #RoadSafety #Infrastructure #Potholes #Cars #Motoring
these are just a few examples of the <**normal and very common**> state of the asphalt in the routes where I usually ride my yucateca bike (without suspensions to add more challenge) around the town.. so, when I see other posts here with acceptable and flat paths, I almost don't feel any emotion... 🪨😆😝🚴♂️
Councils across South West Wales reject almost every pothole claim as drivers left paying the price
Fresh data obtained by the RAC reveals a bleak picture for motorists in our region, where refusal rates regularly top 97%, leaving families to cover repair bills that can easily run into hundreds of pounds.
Carmarthenshire: 114 claims, one payout — a 99% refusal rate
No council in our patch fared worse than Carmarthenshire, which rejected 113 out of 114 pothole damage claims in 2024.
That means just one driver received compensation all year — despite garages across the county reporting a steady stream of suspension failures, buckled wheels and blown tyres.
At a garage in Porthyrhyd, owner Aled Jenkins says the damage is relentless.
“We get people coming in more or less every week because of potholes,” he said. “It causes a lot of trouble for cars, especially with their suspensions.”
In Cwmamman, mechanic Amos Lawlor says drivers have simply lost faith in the system.
“Go back five or ten years and you’d put in a claim and get paid,” he said. “Now they’re clamping down. But the damage hasn’t stopped — we still see it every week.”
He warned that recent frosts will only make things worse: “Roads aren’t being maintained enough. After the latest frost, there’ll be more potholes again.”
Swansea, Pembrokeshire and NPT: refusal rates above 94%
The picture is no better in neighbouring counties.
Swansea, Pembrokeshire, Neath Port Talbot and the Vale of Glamorgan all rejected 97% of claims or more, according to the RAC’s analysis.
In practice, that means drivers who hit a pothole in Swansea or Pembrokeshire have almost no chance of receiving compensation — even if the damage is severe.
Neath Port Talbot wasn’t far behind, refusing more than 94% of claims.
Across the region, garages say the pattern is the same: more damage, fewer payouts, and drivers increasingly resigned to footing the bill themselves.
Bridgend: the one rare bright spot
One council in our wider region bucked the trend — and dramatically so.
Bridgend County Borough Council was the only authority in Wales to pay out 100% of the pothole claims it received last year.
It’s a tiny number of cases compared to Carmarthenshire or Swansea, but still a striking contrast in a landscape where almost every other council is rejecting nearly every claim.
Claims rising, payouts falling
While councils in our patch are rejecting claims at record levels, the number of drivers seeking compensation continues to rise.
Across Wales, pothole claims have jumped 26% since 2021 — but the proportion of successful payouts has fallen from one in four to just one in six.
The RAC says the average payout is £390, but the average repair bill for damage worse than a puncture is closer to £590 — leaving many families out of pocket even when they do win a claim.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams says strict definitions of what counts as a pothole are part of the problem.
“Some have to be four centimetres deep and a certain width,” he said. “If you hit one, it can cause a real jolt to the car and serious damage — and it’s a major safety risk, particularly for cyclists and motorcyclists.”
He warned that the true scale of the problem may be even worse, with several councils failing to provide data.
A growing crisis on local roads
For drivers in Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Bridgend, the message is clear: pothole damage is rising — but the chances of getting a penny back are shrinking fast.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Councils face record numbers of compensation claims for pothole damage
New figures reveal a surge in drivers seeking payouts as road conditions worsen across Wales.
Welsh Government hails 37,000 pothole fixes — but drivers still face a bumpy ride
Ministers say progress is being made, but motorists insist the repairs aren’t keeping pace with the damage.
Could AI fix the country’s pothole problem?
Experts explore whether new technology could finally help councils get ahead of the UK’s pothole crisis.
City council says it’s filled thousands of potholes to keep motorists on the move
Officials defend their record, saying crews are working around the clock to repair damaged roads.
KTLA: Post-storm potholes shredding tires, damaging cars in Los Angeles
"...Multiple reports indicate that Los Angeles fully stopped repaving streets since summer 2025, with no plan for resumption in sight. City data shows 0 miles of lanes resurfaced in fiscal year 2025-26.
It’s believed to be an effort to avoid a federal law that requires curb ramp improvements when a street is repave(d), but not for spot maintenance. ..."
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/post-storm-potholes-shredding-tires-damaging-cars-in-los-angeles/
Why do roadworks take so long in the UK?
The answer is about underfunding – and a vicious cycle that Terry Pratchett explained decades ago.
#Roadworks #Potholes #UKPolitics #Infrastructure
https://thewhipline.substack.com/p/why-do-roadworks-take-so-long-in
There have been thousands of potholes, PRE-freezing rain this week... what about THOSE POTHOLES?!?
https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/montreal-crews-working-to-repair-potholes-clear-sidewalks-after-freezing-rain/ #polMTL #MTLpoli #nidsdepoule #potholes #LIARLIAR
Karnataka Deputy CM Shivakumar Dismisses Bengaluru Pothole Issue
Karnataka Deputy CM Shivakumar Dismisses Bengaluru Pothole Issue #shivakumar #karnatakacm #potholes #otvenglish #otvnewsenglish --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OdishaTV is Odisha's no 1 News Channel. OTV being the first private satellite TV channel in Odisha carries the onus of charting a course that behoves its pioneering efforts.…
https://www.odnews.in/karnataka-deputy-cm-shivakumar-dismisses-bengaluru-pothole-issue/
Britain's worst pothole so deep a man stood waist deep in it is FINALLY filled
Conservatives criticise Reform UK’s roadworks strategy after fall in number of pothole repairs
