'Why can't you just fix the potholes?' It is a very reasonable question with a deeply frustrating answer. The cause of the problem also prevents the solution.
We all know when it rains, we get potholes and with relentless rain we've had this year, our crews are having a tough time keeping up with this mammoth task.
Kempsey Shire Council Coordinator Maintenance Response, Garick Cahill, said rainy wet weather makes it extremely difficult to carryout repairs.
"The problem with potholes is that wet weather is when they appear and is also the worst time to try and repair them," said Mr Cahill.
"With the record-breaking amount of rain the shire has experienced over the last two years this makes repairing roads incredibly hard."
Potholes form when water creeps through the smallest of cracks and failures in roads. Coupled with the weight and volume of traffic passing over, this essentially causes the pavement to blow out.
"We treat pothole repairs like the emergency room of a hospital where they are triaged based on a number of factors such as road classification, traffic volume and speed limit. We can't always repair them straight away."
Council asks for patience and understanding to the challenges crews are facing. We are working hard to repairs roads as swiftly as possible.
