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Massive pothole proving difficult to fix

BBC Oxford's Political Reporter Bethan Nimmo visited "Didcot's biggest pothole"

A large pothole which has damaged cars is proving difficult to repair, a council has confirmed.

Traffic lights have been set up on the A4130 out of Didcot towards Wallingford to divert drivers around the problem.

Councillor Ian Snowdon described the holes as "full on craters", while Oxfordshire County Council said it had attempted to fix the problem on several occasions.

The local authority recently defended another road in the county after it had been dubbed "Pothole World".

A view from the pothole, which is deep, and filled with water, looking up towards the road. There are traffic cones and signs on the road, and a car drives past.
Traffic lights have been set up on the A4130 out of Didcot towards Wallingford

Mr Snowden, Conservative councillor for Didcot West, said: "They're craters, they're full on craters… there's still one there that's about five foot long, three foot wide, and about six, seven inches deep, and it's got a drain in it as well with a sharp edge.

"The resident survey every year shows that potholes are one of the biggest priorities but unfortunately the council hasn't had it as one of their priorities... sometimes it's the smaller things that mean the most to residents."

One driver, who gave his name as Stuart, told the BBC he encountered the "killer pothole".

"Usually I can avoid it by driving on the other side of the road but unfortunately today there were cars coming... and it blew my front left tyre," he said.

"I've had to take today as emergency leave because it was going to take so long to repair the tyre and get recovered.

"I'd rather not have spent £140. I'm really angry that the pothole is still there."

Another view from the pothole. A queue of cars is in the distance.
The council says it has attempted to fix the "defects" on several occasions

In a statement, the county council said: "These defects are proving to be particularly difficult and we have attempted to fix them on a number of occasions.

"However, due to the water getting in - we are unsure if it is Thames Water or natural springs - the material is not holding.

"Officers were at the site on Friday to install temporary two-way traffic lights until we can discover the source of the water."

The council said it repaired 41,000 potholes in 2024.

A sign reading: "Oxon Highways presents: Pothole World", "fun for the hole family" and "guaranteed to drive you potty". It is right next to a road.
The sign for Pothole World has been installed next to the A41 near Bicester

A tongue-in-cheek sign criticising the council's approach to the issue was recently erected next to the A41 near Bicester.

It read "Oxon Highways presents: Pothole World" and features the taglines "fun for the hole family" and "guaranteed to drive you potty".

The council said: "We welcome people drawing our attention to potholes...

"However, there is no need for people to go to the trouble of creating elaborate banners."

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