Reactive maintenance
How potholes form
Potholes happen when water gets into the road and freezes, making the road crack.
When the ice melts, it leaves gaps under the road where more water can get in. If this keeps happening, the road gets weaker.
As cars drive over the weak spots, bits of the road break, and holes form – this is what we call a pothole.
Our repair criteria
At East Sussex Highways, our decision to repair is based on the level of risk to safety; with bigger potholes on main roads being the top priority. These guidelines, known as intervention levels, help us focus on the most urgent safety issues. These intervention levels are set by Elected Members, not by contractors or officers.
For potholes in the carriageway, the intervention levels for repair are:
- Category 1: Greater than 100mm and at least 300mm wide in all directions - Made Safe within 2 hours
- Category 2: Greater than 60mm and less than 99mm deep and at least 300mm in all directions - Repaired within 5 days
- Category 3: Greater than 40mm and less than 59mm deep and at least 300mm in all directions - Repaired within 28 days
For footways, the intervention levels for repair are:
- Category 1: Greater than 40mm deep - Made Safe within 2 hours
- Category 2: Greater than 30mm deep - Repaired within 5 days
- Category 3: Greater than 20mm deep - Repaired within 28 days
You can find more details on our intervention levels on the below page:
Reporting a pothole to us
You’re our eyes and ears on the network! Spot a pothole? Let us know. Your report helps us keep East Sussex's highways network safe for everyone.
You can report a pothole to us via our report a problem page.
Pothole statistics
You can view our pothole statistices by clicking below