Potholes

We're responsible for repairing potholes on public roads. We are not responsible for repairs on private roads; maintenance of private roads is usually the responsibility of the people who live on the road.

Following national guidance, the Highways Team regularly inspect Trafford roads and footways. This helps us to schedule ongoing maintenance of the highway’s network and develop an annual list of capital improvement works.

Repairing pothole or other highway defects – what we do

If you report a pothole or other highway defect to us, we will:

  • Inspect the road you've reported to us within 7 days*
  • Decide if and how quickly we need to repair the pothole depending on the risk it poses to road users
  • Repair potholes with a minimum depth of 40mm
  • Let you know if we decide not to carry out repairs with the reasons why

* If you consider the issue to be an immediate hazard to public safety, please call 03330 035865 immediately (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). Out of core hours, you should contact the Emergency Duty Team on 0161 912 1111 or 0161 912 2020. We will arrange for a highway inspector to attend as a matter of emergency.

What size does a pothole have to be before it will be fixed?

A pothole will be repaired when it reaches a minimum depth of 40mm.

A street pothole is described as “a sharp-edged defect of 40mm or greater in depth and extending in any one direction greater than 300mm”.

In a footway (or in a carriageway at a pedestrian crossing point), a pothole starts to become considered actionable where there exists a clear trip-face exceeding 20mm (about ¾ of an inch).

How long will it take to repair?

The speed at which a pothole will be repaired is dependent upon the severity of the defect and the potential risk it presents. Repair of an actionable pothole could be ordered at one of 3 priority levels:

Status repair time

  1. Emergency; to be repaired within 24 hours
  2. Hurry; to be repaired within 7 days
  3. Normal; to be repaired within 28 days

How to report a pothole or damage to roads

Please try to give us as much information as you can so we can identify the problem quickly. When reporting the issue to us, please provide the location of the pothole (exact location or adjacent house number or business) and the estimated size and depth.

Report a highway issue