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How long does it take to fix a road fault

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We regularly inspect the roads we are responsible for. Our inspections aim to find and fix serious problems. We also rely on members of the public to report issues to us.

You can use our online reporting system to report a new problem with highways. You can also use it to see updates on existing problems.

The information below details how significant a problem needs to be for us to action a repair. It outlines when the repair will happen for potholes, manhole and drainage covers, flooding, drainage, traffic signals, road markings, vegetation/tree problems. This is often dependent on the road type. 

It is not possible for works to be carried out everywhere at the same time. We give greater priority to the roads that have the most traffic and where there is a greater chance of a defect causing a problem.

Please note timescales may be longer during periods of high demand.

Road type Road summary Description
Motorway Limited access. Routes for fast moving, long distance traffic. Traffic is separated and restrictions on use are in place.
Strategic Route Trunk roads and some principal 'A' roads between primary urban areas. Routes for fast moving, long distance traffic with little frontage access or pedestrian traffic. Speed limits are usually in excess of 40mph and there are few junctions. Pedestrian crossings are either segregated or controlled and parked vehicles are generally prohibited.
Main Distributor Major urban network roads for short and medium distance traffic. Routes linking Strategic Routes with urban centres. Limited frontage access. In urban areas, speed limits are usually 40mph or less, parking is restricted at peak times and there are measures for pedestrians.
Secondary Distributor Includes B and C class roads and unclassified urban bus routes. Carries local traffic with frontage access and frequent junctions. In rural areas, these roads link the larger villages and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) to the Strategic and Main Distributor roads. In built up areas, these roads have 30mph speed limits and very high levels of pedestrian activity with some crossing facilities including zebra crossings. On-street parking is generally unrestricted except for safety reasons.
Link Road Roads linking between the Main and Secondary Distributor roads. Features a lot of frontage access and frequent junctions. In rural areas, these roads link the smaller villages to the distributor roads. They are of varying width and not always capable of carrying two way traffic. In urban areas, they are residential or industrial inter-connecting roads with 30mph speed limits, random pedestrian movements and uncontrolled parking.
Local Access Road Roads serving limited number of properties carrying only access traffic. In rural areas, these roads serve small settlements and provide access to individual properties and land. They are often only single lane width and unsuitable for HGVs in urban areas. They are often residential loop roads or cul-de-sacs.
Minor Roads Little used roads serving five properties or less. Locally defined roads serving few properties with low volumes of traffic.
Soft Roads (Green Lanes) Unmade unclassified. Exclusively in rural areas carrying mainly agricultural vehicles and pedestrians.

Potholes

A pothole is a hole in the road that is deeper than 40mm and wider than 75mm in any horizontal direction. They are usually formed during the winter months as a direct result of snow, ice and prolonged periods of rain. 

When will a pothole be fixed?

When a pothole is reported to us, we will first inspect to risk assess it. At inspection, we will mark the pothole with paint. Yellow paint indicates it will be fixed within 21 days. White paint indicates it will be fixed within 13 weeks.

We will prioritise repairing potholes that we deem to be a danger to the public. This could be due to the pothole's position on the road or the possibility that it may create a hazard. If the pothole is large but not deemed to be a significant risk to the public, we will action a repair at a later date.

Sometimes we temporarily fix potholes to make them safe. We then permanently repair them with our other programmed works. We will monitor smaller potholes that are not yet big enough to fix as part of our routine inspections.

Categories of potholes and our response times

For potholes on Strategic and Main Distributor road types:

Pothole description Response time
Greater than 40mm in depth and a significant risk to public safety 5 days
Greater than 40mm in depth but less of a risk to public safety 21 days
20mm to 40mm in depth 13 weeks

For potholes on Secondary Distributor road type:

Pothole description Response time
Greater than 50mm in depth and a significant risk to public safety 5 days
Greater than 50mm in depth but less of a risk to public safety 21 days
40mm to 50mm in depth 13 weeks

 For potholes on Link and Local Access road types:

Pothole description Response time
Greater than 50mm in depth and a significant risk to public safety 5 days
Greater than 50mm in depth but less of a risk to public safety 21 days
Less than 50mm in depth Not yet large enough for repair
 
For Minor road types: 
Pothole description Response time
Greater than 80mm in depth and a significant risk to public safety 5 days
Greater than 80mm in depth but less of a risk to public safety 21 days
Less than 80mm in depth Not yet large enough for repair

For potholes on cycleways:

Location of cycleway Pothole type Response time
On Strategic, Main Distributor and Secondary Distributor road types Greater than 40mm in depth and a significant risk to public safety

36 hours
Greater than 40mm in depth but less of a risk to public safety 21 days
20mm to 40mm in depth 13 weeks
All other cycleways Greater than 40 mm in depth and a significant risk to public safety 5 days
Greater than 40 mm in depth but less of a risk to public safety 21 days
20mm to 40mm in depth Not yet large enough for repair

For potholes on footpaths:

 Pothole type Response time
Greater than 25mm in depth and a risk to public safety 36 hours
Greater than 25mm in depth but less of a risk to public safety 21 days
20mm to 25mm in depth 13 weeks
 

Manhole covers and drain covers

For ironworks on all road carriageways:

Problem type Response time
Missing covers or large gaps in framework 2 hours
Greater than 40mm level difference with frame 36 hours
Greater than 20mm level difference with frame Not yet large enough for repair

For ironworks on footways and cycleways:

Problem type Response time
Greater than 20mm level difference with frame 2 hours 

Flooding

We will attend a site if there is standing water after heavy rainfall that inhibits the free flow of traffic.

We will respond within two hours if the flooding is causing network restrictions or safety concerns on Strategic, Main Distributor or Secondary Distributor road types. In this instance, you can expect warning signs or other mitigation.

If this happens on a Link or Local Access road types, we will investigate the cause of flooding within 28 days.

Drainage

Blocked gullies (silted above outlet) leading to network restrictions or safety concerns will be investigated within two hours.

In areas at risk of flooding, gullies are cleaned once a year or more often if required. We check, clean, and repair other drainage forms as needed, and when they are reported to us.

Sometimes a gully may seem to be blocked but the problem could be with the drain the gully is connected to.

Traffic signalled junctions and crossings

Traffic signals control traffic flow and improve vehicle and pedestrian safety. These are either at junctions or at standalone pedestrian crossings.

If the signals go out or have another fault, we will attend to fix them within the times below. Response times are dependent on the severity of the issue, not on the classification or type of the road.

Problem type Response and repair time
Signals off, road traffic accident, signals stuck or red lamp out 2 hours to attend site, make safe within 4 hours
Any lamp other than a red lamp out Within 1 day
All other faults (including vehicle detectors) Within 3 days

Road markings

Road markings are used to define roads, bus and cycle lanes, and traffic calming schemes. They also help enforce parking or loading areas and reduce damage to the side of roads.

We will respond to faded or worn road markings on highways within the timescales below. The response times depend on severity and road category.

Road markings
Road type Category 1 Response time Category 2 Response time
Strategic Missing give way or stop lines 5 days All other road markings - 30% loss of effective marking 13 weeks
Main Distributor and Secondary Distributor Missing give way or stop lines 5 days All other road markings - 50% loss of effective marking 13 weeks
All other roads Missing give way or stop lines 5 days All other road markings - 70% loss of effective marking 13 weeks
Footways and cycleways Missing give way or stop lines 5 days All other road markings - 70% loss of effective marking 13 weeks

Grass, hedges, trees and weeds

We have an annual grass cutting programme for grass verges along Cambridgeshire roads. This takes place between May and October. Grass cutting is carried out by one of the council's subcontractors or by some parish councils on our behalf.

If you notice an area where grass is causing a safety issue, you can report it to us via our online reporting tool. Below are our response times.

Verges
Road type Problem Response time
All Greater than 150mm deep and over 5m long 14 days

Trees

Trees alongside the road are usually the responsibility of the adjoining landowner. We inspect reports of overhanging trees or bushes to check for danger, especially if they force people into the road or block signs.

We then try to identify the landowner and ask them to carry out the work. If they are unable to, the local parish council may volunteer to do it. The County Council can enforce landowners to do the work. This is especially true if it is a safety issue.

During an emergency, we will address overhanging or overgrown trees or hedges. These trees or hedges must be above our intervention levels. The intervention levels are specified in the table below.

Hedges and trees
Road type Problem Response time
All Unstable tree causing danger of collapse onto highway 2 hours