There has been an outcry from motorists over the huge number of potholes opening up on roads all over the county - some several inches deep and extremely dangerous.

Gloucestershire County Council's #yourhighways teams say they have been hard at work this winter and are now driving forward with 'Operation Road Rescue' to keep the county moving.

#yourhighways 'Operation Road Rescue' will concentrate on fixing the worst potholes first, patching larger clusters of defects and resurfacing routes that have suffered major damage.

Martyn Midgley, area highways manager for Gloucestershire County Council, explains Operation Road Rescue:

The council says Operation Road Rescue is a three step process - Worst First, Patching and Resurfacing.

Step One: Worst First - The teams prioritise the worst potholes first for the safety of road users.

This is to make sure the most dangerous defects are repaired as quickly as possible and could mean that you see some potholes on a road fixed while others are left until later.

The council says it does not forget the less serious potholes - they will be repaired as soon as the major work is complete and teams are available.

Step Two: Patching - the teams identify locations that can be repaired through larger patching schemes.

Safety inspection teams prioritise areas where they carry out patching works to repair larger clusters of potholes. These schemes often require additional patching crews and staff to manage temporary traffic signals for the safety of the workforce and road users.

Step Three: Resurfacing - The council regularly re-prioritises the resurfacing programme to take into account the damage from severe weather and heavy traffic flows.

The county council says it is investing £150 million into our roads, effectively doubling the resurfacing programme over the next four years. This is the authority's biggest ever investment in roads.

"There is a limited pot of money for major schemes like these so it isn't possible to resurface every single road in the county," says the council.

"Repairing the damage to our roads is a mammoth task and one that can cost up to £5 million. We ask that road users please remain patient and remember to drive carefully while our teams work hard to repair the county's roads and keep Gloucestershire moving."

For more information on #yourhighways you can visit the council's digital story board: https://social.shorthand.com/GlosCC/j2WrlUV3ou/yourhighways 

Whilst Punchline welcomes the action being taken by the council we wonder if it is still too little too late. Why were our roads allowed to fall into such a terrible state in the first place?

The danger these potholes pose to drivers cannot be underestimated. Let's hope this repair campaign works and quickly.

What do you think? Email mark@moosemarketingandpr.co.uk