Liverpool council adds trucks, crew and equipment to pothole repairs

Liverpool City Council is adding equipment and staff to its road-maintenance operation after reporting that 80 per cent of reported potholes were made safe within its three-day target over the past 12 months.

The council has replaced both of its previous pothole-patching trucks with newer vehicles and commissioned a Jetpatcher for pavement repairs. Recruitment is under way for three vacant road-maintenance positions, with the roles estimated to be filled within four weeks.

A cold-planer attachment and a broom attachment have also been ordered to support permanent pothole repairs and improve their quality and durability. The equipment is scheduled to arrive within eight weeks.

Council officers said vacancies had affected routine inspections and the team’s capacity to complete permanent repairs within the desired timeframe. As staffing levels are restored, inspections are expected to take place more consistently, allowing defects to be identified and repairs to be programmed and completed sooner.

The response followed inspections of roads raised by Member for Liverpool Charishma Kaliyanda MP. Of the nominated roads, 21 are scheduled for civil maintenance over the next four months, while four are to be remediated through this financial year’s Capital Works program.

Ten roads were assessed as needing rehabilitation but are not currently included in the Capital Works program for this financial year or the following financial year. Council’s Planning and Capital Works teams will be advised of the inspections for consideration of bringing forward rehabilitation work where feasible and subject to available funding.

Repairs will continue to be prioritised according to road hierarchy, traffic volumes, pavement condition and safety risk, alongside responses to defects reported by the community. The Civil Maintenance team will use its existing Road Maintenance budget, with requests for additional funding considered through quarterly budget reviews if extra resources are needed.

Where the three-day safety target was not met, council cited more potholes and pavement defects associated with ageing road infrastructure and higher traffic volumes. Traffic on major roads can also limit when crews can work safely, requiring some repairs to be scheduled outside peak periods.