Staffordshire's highways crews are heading into winter with momentum. The county council says crews repaired 4,965 potholes in October, more than in the same month last year, and 32,407 since April. The target is 40,000 by the end of the financial year in March.
Winter changes the job
The council is also being honest about what comes next. Winter brings storms, heavy rain, and snow, and crews have to respond to those emergencies too. Staffordshire says the pace and type of pothole repair may change during bad weather, especially when crews are needed to keep roads open.
That's the reality for every highway authority in a cold climate. The same people who patch roads also grit them, clear them, and deal with flooding. And winter is exactly when potholes form fastest, as water gets into cracks, freezes, expands, and breaks the surface apart.
A mix of methods
Staffordshire is using several repair methods to work through defects efficiently, including traditional repairs, screeding, and velocity patching. Residents can report problems through the council's Report It service, and crews prioritise defects by safety and need.
Keeping repairs going when the weather turns
When crews are stretched and the weather is wet and cold, the best repair material is one that's ready to go and doesn't need ideal conditions. EZ STREET® Ambient® Asphalt is engineered for winter work. It's stockpiled and used straight from the bag or bulk pile, with no heating and no tack coat. It goes into wet holes and holes holding water, bonds to asphalt and concrete, and opens to traffic once compacted. It's thermally resilient, so a repair made between storms can still be there when spring arrives.
A winter checklist for highway teams
- Keep repair material on every gritting depot shelf. Crews can patch between weather calls.
- Fix safety-critical defects first. Staffordshire's risk-based approach is the right one.
- Choose repairs that don't need redoing in March. Every return trip takes a crew away from something else.
Staffordshire has built real momentum this year. With enduring materials on hand, winter doesn't have to undo it. Learn more at ezstreetasphalt.com.
Source notes: Staffordshire County Council (November 2, 2026).
