Swansea’s road repair blitz ramps up as new resurfacing crews hit the streets

The council says an additional £300,000 has been pumped into the programme, allowing teams to tackle more potholes, worn‑out stretches and weather‑damaged routes after weeks of cold, wet conditions.

Fresh resurfacing lined up across the city

A series of busy roads are now earmarked for work in the coming weeks, including key routes in Clydach, Morriston, Fforestfach, Llansamlet, Clase, Bishopston and Uplands.

Locations scheduled for repairs include:

• Ynyspenllwch Road, Clydach (Ffordd Cwmtawe to Clydach)
• Lone Road, Clydach
• Llanllienwen Road, Morriston
• A48, Morriston (J46 to Bryntywod entrance)
• Carmarthen Road, Fforestfach (Ffordd Cynore to Swansea Road)
• Nantong Way, Llansamlet (outside Royal Mail)
• Rheidol Avenue, Clase
• Bishopston Road, Bishopston
• Maes y Gwernen Road and Drive, Cwmrhydyceirw
• Uplands Crescent

The council says full resurfacing has already been completed at a number of high‑traffic spots, including the Peniel Green Road motorway junction.

‘We’re using every resource we’ve got’

Cllr Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said crews were working flat out to keep up with demand.

“We are using all of our resources to tackle as many of the highway repair requests as possible,” he said.

“Full resurfacing work is being completed at key traffic spots including the motorway junction at Peniel Green Road. Our small resurfacing teams are also out tackling large areas of road that have been impacted by the recent cold and wet weather.”

Part of a wider £300k pothole and resurfacing blitz

The council says the latest work forms part of the £300,000 pothole and resurfacing blitz announced earlier this winter. According to the authority’s early‑February update, teams filled around 960 potholes in January, with repairs running at “around 100 a day” during the coldest weeks. The same update confirmed that full resurfacing had recently been completed on Peniel Green Road at the M4 junction, along with sections of Frampton Road, Carmarthen Road and Ffynone Road in Uplands.

The council said an extra team had been brought in to “speed up and increase the number of repairs”, with more resurfacing schemes scheduled across the city in the coming weeks as the winter programme continues.

£37m proposed for highways and transport

The council’s proposed budget for 20206/27 is due to be discussed by the council’s cabinet on 19 February. This includes a new Economic Growth Fund which according to the council would include an extra £3m for resurfacing and potholes, taking next year’s roads budget to more than £12m within a wider £37m allocation for highways and transport.

Swansea launches £300k pothole blitz as major M4 roundabout set for overnight resurfacing

The council said more than 760 potholes were filled in December alone, with teams now working “day and night” to keep traffic moving. Some of the busiest periods saw up to 150 new pothole reports a day as ice, snow and heavy rain caused road surfaces to crack and break up.

According to the authority, four repair teams are now travelling the city aiming to fill around 100 potholes a day, with an additional specialist crew drafted in to tackle larger patches where the top layer of road has been stripped away by the weather.

Cllr Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, Swansea Council, said the scale of the problem was being felt “right across the country”, but Swansea was “taking action to tackle the problem”.

He said the extra teams would repeat last year’s post‑Christmas campaign, which saw larger surface defects repaired at a rate of one location a day for two months.

The pothole push comes alongside the council’s wider £20m highways investment for 2025/26, which includes major resurfacing already completed in Ynysforgan, Killay, Morriston, West Cross, Birchgrove, Gowerton and Llanmorlais. Recent work has also taken place on the A4118 in South Gower and the A48 Peniel Green Road near the M4.

Overnight works at M4 junction 44

As part of the same programme, the council confirmed that highways teams will spend the next week resurfacing the main roundabout at M4 junction 44 (Birchgrove) overnight to minimise disruption. A smaller roundabout on the B4625, which links to the westbound M4, will also be renewed.

Cllr Stevens said the junction was “a very busy part of the network” and in need of resurfacing “to keep motorists on the move”.

He added that record investment in the 2025/26 maintenance programme had allowed the council to prioritise full resurfacing schemes in areas most affected by wear and heavy traffic.

Recent resurfacing has also been completed on the A4118 at Parkmill, West Cross Avenue, Woodfield Street in Morriston and Mill Street in Gowerton.

Swansea Council maintains more than 1,000 miles of non‑motorway roads and says engineers carry out regular inspections to identify defects. The public can also report potholes directly, with the council pledging to repair as many as possible within 48 hours.

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Broken roads are costing drivers dear

For motorists, the numbers are more than statistics. The RAC says drivers in England and Wales encounter an average of six potholes per mile, while the AA reports that fixing potholes is a priority for 96% of drivers.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned that “broken roads can risk lives and cost families hundreds if not thousands of pounds on repairs”. Industry data backs that up: Halfords says more than a quarter of drivers suffered pothole damage last year, with repairs averaging £718 for suspension, wheels and tyres.

AA president Edmund King has urged councils to focus on “permanent and innovative repairs rather than adopting a ‘patch and run’ approach”, warning that potholes can be fatal for cyclists and motorcyclists.

Who is actually responsible for fixing the roads?

Part of the confusion for drivers is that not all roads are the same.

• The Welsh Government maintains trunk roads and motorways such as the M4 and A40.
• Local councils are responsible for local roads, using a mix of their own budgets and government‑backed borrowing.

So when the Welsh Government says 37,000 potholes were fixed or prevented between April and September, that only covers work funded through its own schemes. It doesn’t capture the full scale of day‑to‑day repairs carried out by councils.

🛠️ Report a pothole

Not sure who’s responsible for the road? Use the right link below to make sure your report gets to the right place:

• Swansea Council – Report a pothole
• Neath Port Talbot Council – Report potholes
• Carmarthenshire Council – Report a pothole
• Bridgend Council – Report an issue (potholes)
• Pembrokeshire Council – Report a problem
• Trunk roads & motorways (SWTRA / Traffic Wales)

Tip: If you’re not sure who’s responsible, start with your local council — they’ll redirect you if it’s a trunk road.

Councils’ budgets show a fragmented picture

Earlier this year, councils set their budgets for 2025/26 — and the differences are stark.

• In Swansea, councillors approved a record £20m investment in highways, covering resurfacing, pavements, bridges and drainage. By mid‑year, schemes such as the 8km resurfacing of the B4295 on Gower had already been delivered.
• In Bridgend, the budget included £590,000 for highways works, topped up by £2.9m from the Welsh Government’s borrowing initiative.
• In Pembrokeshire, councillors warned last year that the county faced a period of “managed decline” in its road network, with only the most urgent repairs affordable.

The result is a patchwork: Swansea trumpeting record spending, Bridgend relying on borrowing, and Pembrokeshire openly admitting the limits of what it can achieve.

Swansea leads on transparency – others lag behind

Swansea is also unusual in publishing weekly updates on potholes fixed, including how many were repaired within 48 hours. Those logs show dozens repaired every week — far higher than the 57 potholes attributed to Swansea in the Welsh Government’s dataset for the same six‑month period.

Neighbouring councils do not routinely publish similar data. Carmarthenshire revealed in a scrutiny report that it logged more than 10,000 potholes in 2024, while Pembrokeshire and Bridgend figures tend to surface only through FOI requests or budget papers.

That lack of consistency makes it harder for residents to compare performance across Wales — and harder to hold councils to account.

A road ahead that still looks uneven

For drivers, the frustration is simple: the roads they use every day often feel worse than the official figures suggest. For councils and ministers, the reality is more complicated — split responsibilities, ring‑fenced funding streams, and budgets that vary wildly from county to county.

Swansea’s weekly repair logs and record investment show what transparency and ambition can look like. But elsewhere, figures are harder to come by, and some councils admit they are managing decline rather than delivering improvement.

The Welsh Government’s claim of 37,000 potholes fixed in six months is eye‑catching, but it is only part of the picture. Until there is a consistent way of reporting repairs — and a sustainable level of funding to match the scale of the problem — drivers across South West Wales are likely to keep feeling every bump in the road.

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#councils #featured #localAuthority #motoring #potholes #roadRepairs #roadResurfacing #WelshGovernment

Five weeks of roadworks to start on busy Carmarthen trunk road

The resurfacing work is taking place between Pensarn roundabout at the junction of the A40, A48 and A484 – and Glangwili roundabout at the junction of the A40 and A485 on both the eastbound and westbound carriageways.

The South Wales Trunk Road Agent (SWTRA), who maintain trunk roads and motorways in South Wales, say the resurfacing works will start on 19 June for 21 nights with an additional night planned on the 25 July to replace existing bridge joints. 

Waterproofing repair work is also to be carried out on the Towy River Bridge known as Pont Cynnwr.

In order to undertake these works safely the A40 will be closed westbound between Glangwili Roundabout (A40/A485) and Llangunnor Roundabout (A40/A484) to traffic from Friday 4 July at 8pm through to Sunday 6 July at 6am. 

Signposted diversions will take drivers on a 33 mile detour along the A48 to Cross Hands, the A476 to Llandeilo and the A40 back to Carmarthen.

SWTRA say that during the daytime, there will be periods where traffic will be running on the milled surface prior to the resurfacing works being carried out. Temporary markings and signage will be in place during this period and the speed limit will be reduced to 40mph. 

#A40 #Carmarthen #motoring #resurfacing #roadResurfacing #roadworks

🚧 A stretch of Fred W. Moore Highway in St. Clair could see new pavement in 2026—if the city secures a $241,250 grant from MDOT.

At the June 2 meeting, the city council voted 7–0 to apply for the funding through MDOT’s Category B program.
https://bluewaterhealthyliving.com/news/local-news/st-clair-to-apply-for-240k-grant-to-repave-portion-of-fred-moore-hwy/
#StClairMI #Infrastructure #MDOTGrant #CityCouncil #RoadResurfacing #GBSMedia

Council publishes full list of Swansea roads to be resurfaced between now and March 2026

The council has revealed 31 roads across the city that will be upgraded along all or part of their overall length.

Two major routes included in the upgrade will target parts of Carmarthen Road and Fabian Way.

Further improvements set to be completed between now and March 2026, will be made along Neath Road and Woodfield Street in Morriston, Mill Street in Gowerton, West Cross Avenue, Gors Avenue and Birchgrove Road.

Also included in the newly published list of roads is Mumbles Road, which has recently been completed. The upgrade included a new section of road between the West Cross Inn and Norton Road.

Andrew Stevens, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said: “Our highway improvement plans for 2025/26 include significant upgrades to well used, popular sections of road throughout the city.

“The roads earmarked for full resurfacing schemes have been prioritised based on regular highway inspections and have been assessed as needing repairs during the next twelve months.

“In most cases, much of the works will be completed during the evenings so that we minimise disruption for the travelling public.”

As well as completing major resurfacing schemes, the Council says its highway maintenance crews will also be completing other road repair programmes with a series of small repair schemes – which target smaller sections of road.

Pothole teams will also be responding to reports from the public with the aim of repairing them within 48hrs.

In 2024/25, the council says its highways maintenance teams repaired more than 5,000 potholes and resurfaced 13km of main road.

Cllr Stevens, added: “Our maintenance teams worked very hard last year and we expect the same commitment this year. The public has also played their part by reporting potholes and other defects to the council so we can respond as quickly as possible.”

These roads are due to be resurfaced in 2025/26

• Butterslade Grove, Clydach
• Neath Road (Pentre Mawr Road to bus stop)
• Nantyffin Road, Llansamlet
• B4295 Penclawdd to Llanrhidian Holiday Park
• Brynmill Lane, Brynmill
• J44 Peniel Green Road roundabout, Llansamlet
• J44 slip road, Llansamlet
• Lôn Cynlais, Sketty
• Glan Yr Afon Road, Sketty
• Westland Avenue, West Cross
• Woodfield Street, Morriston
• Mumbles Road, (Norton Avenue to No.67)
• Highview, Mayhill
• Mill Street, Gowerton
• Elba/Mill Street junction, Gowerton
• Pontardulais Road, Gorseinon (traffic lights to Brynteg)
• Lôn Camlad, Morriston
• Bishopston Road, Bishopston
• Gors Avenue to Carmarthen Road, Mayhill
• West Cross Avenue, West Cross (West Cross Lane to Norton Avenue)
• A48 Penllergaer Business Park roundabout to J47 Penllergaer
• Goetre Fawr Road, Killay
• Ridgeway, Killay (Goetre Fawr Road to Broadmead)
• Birchgrove Road (between No’s 311 to 188), Birchgrove
• Carmarthen Road, Cwmbwrla roundabout to Wickes roundabout westbound
• Carmarthen Road, Wickes roundabout to Cwmbwrla roundabout eastbound
• Glynhir Road, Pontardulais
• Lone Road, Clydach (Vardre Road to Carlton Road)
• Fabian Way, St. Thomas
• Llanrhidian to Oldwalls
• A4118 – Vennaway Lane to North Hills Lane

#CllrAndrewStevens #featured #motoring #potholes #resurfacing #roadResurfacing #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil

Busy Mumbles road to close overnight for over a week for resurfacing

The crumbling road surface is set to be renewed as part of the council’s resurfacing programme.

The overnight work will start at 8pm (Tuesday 6 May) and continue on until 2am. The road will be closed from those times every night until Wednesday 14 May to allow the repair work to be carried out, with diversions set to be put in place.

Residents have been warned to expect delays – particularly when the new surface is being laid.

A spokesperson for Swansea Council said: “Highway maintenance crews will be at Mumbles Road from Tuesday 6 May until Wednesday 14 May.

“Works will be taking place overnight to resurface a section of Mumbles Road between the junction of Norton Road and the West Cross Inn.

“A road closure will be in place during the upgrade (from 8pm – 2am) and diversions will be in place.

“Access will be maintained for residents along this section, although there may be short delays due to movement of plant machinery and longer delays when the new road surface has been laid. Traffic Management Operatives will be stationed at closure points and will be able to assist with any queries.

“Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.”

#Mumbles #MumblesRoad #potholes #resurfacing #roadResurfacing #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil

City council says it’s filled thousands of potholes to keep motorists on the move

Since April last year, Swansea Council say that more than 6,000 potholes have been fixed, as well as a number of major road resurfacing projects completed in communities across the city.

Despite the bad weather, in February alone the council says its team filled in more than 500 potholes with more than 98% of them being fixed within 48 hours of being reported by members of the public.

In addition to that more than 2,500 other road defects spotted by the council’s engineers have been fixed in the last 11 months.

The news comes following reports that councils across Wales are facing record numbers of compensation claims for pothole damage to vehicles.

Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure said: “The work is all part of our commitment to maintaining and improving our highways, keeping businesses, visitors and residents on the move.

“Last year we spent £8.1m resurfacing roads and fixing potholes and in the coming year £20m more will go towards maintaining our roads for the benefit of motorists, cyclists, businesses and pedestrians.”

He said: “Our highways maintenance teams have covered a lot of ground this year, working hard to target roads most in need of repair.

“In the last couple of months alone, they have been doing major resurfacing work in Gorseinon, Carmarthen Road, Swansea Enterprise Park, Bethel Road, Llansamlet,. Sketty Park Drive, Garngoch and Townhill.

Cllr Stevens said: “It’s important to understand we can’t repair everything that needs doing in one year.

“But over the last five years we have completed more than 36,500 pothole and road defect repairs on top of many road resurfacing projects on main roads and on residential streets.

“Our commitment is to continue to put millions of pounds into keeping up the momentum on maintaining and improving roads.”

Residents can report specific potholes here – www.swansea.gov.uk/reportpothole  and if they include their email address the council’s highways team will update them on progress.

The council say that if your pothole report is not about a specific concern  but a general comment on road conditions, road engineers will take it into account as part of the its general road maintenance programme.

#CllrAndrewStevens #motoring #potholes #roadRepairs #roadResurfacing #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil

Councils face record numbers of compensation claims for pothole damage

Welsh Councils have seen a staggering rise in the number of pothole damage compensation claims lodged against them in the last three years, forking out thousands in settlement payments. 

As Britain’s ‘pothole crisis’ hits record levels, As Britain’s ‘pothole crisis’ hits record levels, an investigation by Accident Claims Advice has revealed claims against Councils in Wales have risen by 79 per cent since 2022.

In the last three years, 19 local authorities across Wales (86%) have paid out a combined total of £540,275 in compensation for pothole damage claims.

The 19 out of 22 Welsh Councils that responded to a Freedom of Information request within the deadline reported a total of 3,939 potholes in need of repair at the beginning of the year (January 2025). 

Ceredigion County Council reported the highest number of unfixed craters, standing at 544 in January. It was followed by 447 outstanding potholes reported by Pembrokeshire Council and a further 442 logged by Swansea Council.

New data has found that Welsh Councils have had 3,083 legal claims lodged against them for pothole damage in the last three years, with the figure increasing from 635 in 2022 to 1,138 last year. 

But of those, just 16 per cent of claims lodged were settled with compensation. 

In fact, the amount of compensation paid for pothole damage cases has decreased year on year, despite the rise in claims. 

In 2022, Welsh Councils paid out a total of £219,236 settling 122 pothole claims. The following year, 226 were settled to the tune of £181,335. 

Last year, 2024, local authorities settled 147 claims with compensation payouts amounting to £140,022. 

Swansea Council had 328 claims between 2022 and 2024, but paid out on just 11 at a total cost of £1,999.29. The council recently announced plans for a £20m investment in its road network, including resurfacing major routes in the city and says it its highways maintenance teams repaired more than 5,000 potholes and resurfaced 13km of main road in the last financial year.

Pembrokeshire Council paid out £2,546.29 over the same period on just 4 claims out of the 107 made against the council. Bridgend paid out £3,125.60 on 24 claims out of 161 made, with Neath Port Talbot paying slightly more – £3,357 on 16 claims out of 102.

The top 3 pothole damage compensation councils were Powys with £74,081 paid on 28 claims out of 276, Cardiff Council who paid £82,766.86 on 81 claims out of 367 made.

The highest amount was paid out by Wrexham Council with an eye-watering £274,573.28 paid on 76 claims out of 212 made.

Carmarthenshire Council did not respond with data to the freedom of information request.

ACA’s Public Liability specialist, Beverly Faulkner said: “Councils and local authorities have a duty of care to ensure the safety of people using public spaces, such as parks, highways and footpaths. A crucial part of this is making sure the land under their control is properly maintained. Failing to do this can put people at risk. 

“The damage caused by potholes can be catastrophic leading to serious injury and/or costly vehicle damage. It is vital that roads are properly maintained. and councils are held responsible for the roads they maintain.”

Recently, the Welsh Government announced that local authorities will soon be able to access up to £120m to repair more local roads over the next two years.

The Welsh Government’s Final Budget 2025-26 set out the new plans for the borrowing initiative which will provide an extra £10m of revenue funding to local councils to enable them to unlock an additional £120m of capital funding to accelerate the process of fixing roads and pavements. 

It follows the UK’s Treasury announcement in the Budget in October last year, which promised that total local road maintenance funding in 2025/26 would be nearly £1.6bn, representing a £500m uplift compared with the previous 12 months. 

Prime Minister, Kier Starmer said in December: “Broken roads can risk lives and cost families hundreds if not thousands of pounds on repairs. That’s a cost that can easily be avoided by investing properly in our roads. 

“That’s why we’re giving councils funding to repair our roads and get Britain moving again – with a clear expectation that they get on with the job.”

(Lead image: Swansea Bay News)

#BridgendCountyBoroughCouncil #compensation #motoring #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #PembrokeshireCouncil #potholes #roadResurfacing #SwanseaCouncil #WelshGovernment

Council announces plans for £20m investment in road network

The council says that a wide range of highway related projects are set to benefit from the proposed investment.

In addition to road resurfacing, pavements are also set to be upgraded as part of annual maintenance plans, along with streetlight renewal, bridge maintenance and improvements at the city’s marina.

The Council has already approved £3.468million as part of the recent budget which will help fund the main highway maintenance programme and targets roads already assessed as needing an upgrade.

A recent announcement has also been made in relation to Welsh Government Active Travel funding, where £1.4million previously awarded to the Council, is being spent this year on upgrades to walking and cycling routes through Clyne Valley and along the Tawe Riverside corridor.

Further funding is now proposed as part of the overall £20million investment and is set to be agreed by cabinet at its meeting on March 20.

The latest highways infrastructure maintenance report presented to cabinet next week will seek to approve £11.7million (includes £3.468million budget allocation) worth of investment.

Along with funding the agreed maintenance programme for roads in Swansea, the additional funding will help pay for further pothole repairs and small resurfacing schemes (SRS).

Funding has also been identified as part of the work programme, to upgrade another section of Gower Coast Path between Limeslade and Rotherslade and follows on from recently completed work at the location.

New railings are also being planned at the popular seafront destination of Knab Rock.

A further report to cabinet in March will also seek to approve more than £6million of grant funding for improvements to keys routes in Swansea and the creation of even more walking and cycling routes in the city.

Andrew Stevens, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said: “Swansea is a major city with a vast highway network and we recognise the need to invest as much as we can to maintain our roads, footways and other infrastructure such as street lighting, traffic signals and bridges.

 “We are making a significant commitment for 2025/26, possibly the largest investment to date, to ensure we can maintain our assets and target areas where the demand on our network is high.

 “Severe weather during the previous year has also highlighted areas where we need to improve drainage along our network, so there will be significant investment towards this as well.”

In 2024/25, the council says its highways maintenance teams repaired more than 5000 potholes and resurfaced 13km of main road.

Cllr Stevens, added: “Our maintenance teams worked very hard last year and we expect the same commitment this year. The public has also played their part by reporting potholes and other defects to the council so we can respond as quickly as possible.”

(Lead image: Swansea Council)

#ActiveTravel #CllrAndrewStevens #potholes #roadResurfacing #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil