Hundreds of Lincolnshire roads damaged by drought during dry summer

Over 400 cracked roads have been reported in Lincolnshire this year, with dry weather thought to be responsible for most of them.

The county has had one of the driest summers on record, with residents being urged to conserve water wherever possible.

Spalding Road near Crowland was closed for emergency repairs earlier this week after subsidence and cracking were discovered.

Lincolnshire County Council says that three other roads – A1031 in Saltfleetby, Bardney Causeway, and A52 Bridge End near Donington – have also required extensive resurfacing works.

The problem is worse in the Lincolnshire Fens due to its soil composition, which sinks when dry, causing the road to move.

Karen Cassar, assistant director for highways, said: “As part of our regular monitoring of the highways network, we are currently investigating the scale of this type of deterioration elsewhere in the county and will report our findings in due course.

“Where additional issues are identified through our highway safety inspections or through reports received through FixMyStreet, appropriate and timely action will be taken to mitigate any risk to road users.

“Lincolnshire has historically suffered from damage to our highway network in periods of drought, as have adjoining county councils across the East Midlands and East Anglia regions.

“We have seen an increase in this happening over recent months due to the prolonged dry weather. As a result, we have adapted our repair programmes to combat this.”

Motorists have been urged to respect the closure on Spalding Road and not drive through, as the road is considered unsafe for vehicles.

A diversion is in place along James Road, A16 Crowland Bypass, A1175 Barrier Bank, and vice versa.