What can this pothole tell us about the state of UK roads?

What can this pothole tell us about the state of UK roads?11 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleLaurence CawleyEast investigationsBBCThe BBC first started charting the fortunes of one of Turner Road's potholes during the frosts of February 2025This pothole was merely one of more than a million that blight our roads.Measuring 60cm (24in) wide and 10cm (4in) deep, it stood on a busy suburban route in Colchester.Department for Transport (DfT) data shows potholes and other road defects have played a role in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries during the past decade, and opinion polls suggest they are among the top issues for voters.Such concerns led Essex County Council's new Reform UK-led administration to declare a "pothole emergency", setting out funding to increase the number of repair teams from nine to 12.This otherwise unremarkable pothole, which emerged from the crumbling ruins of a previous patch-up job, pre-dates that initiative, but how long would it take to be noticed, reported and fixed? And how long would that fix last?To find out, the BBC spent more than a year monitoring it.About 90% of traffic using Turner Road is cars or taxisDespite being classed as a minor road, Turner Road is home to Colchester's hospital and a primary care centre. Various residential streets branch off on either side.Traffic surveys show thousands of vehicles use it each day. About 90% are cars and taxis with light goods vehicles claiming about 7% and buses 1.6%. At both ends of the working day, traffic often comes to a standstill.The BBC first started charting the pothole's ups and downs during the frosts of February 2025.It began as a crack between two previous repairs, gradually getting deeper and wider as more of the road's surface collapsed and broke away.Riders and drivers took increasingly elaborate swerves to avoid the wince-inducing jolts of a full-on pothole clunk.Logs released to the BBC under Freedom of Information rul...