Shropshire extends Multevo highways deal as weather drives surge in pothole repairs

Shropshire Council has extended its highways maintenance partnership with Multevo until March 2027 as the authority tackles thousands of road defects following a damaging winter and summer heatwaves.

Urgent road repairs across Shropshire will continue without interruption after the council agreed to extend its existing highways maintenance contract with Multevo until 31 March 2027.

The decision will keep repair teams working across the county while Shropshire Council undertakes procurement for a new long-term highways maintenance contract.

Multevo will continue its existing programme of pothole and defect repairs while taking on additional work generated by what the council describes as unforeseen and exceptional weather conditions.

The scale of the challenge is significant. Shropshire Council is currently repairing an average of 780 potholes every week, with more than 22,000 repairs completed since the beginning of 2026.

Winter damage followed by summer heat

Road conditions have come under pressure from two very different weather extremes.

Cold and wet conditions during the winter of 2025/26 contributed to a sharp increase in potholes and other defects across the network.

That was followed by high temperatures during summer 2026, creating further deterioration and increasing demand for safety-critical highway repairs.

The combination prompted the council to extend its existing arrangements rather than risk disruption while the replacement maintenance contract is being procured.

The current agreement operates under a ‘mixed economy’ model, with Multevo working alongside the council's own resources to deliver maintenance across the network.

It had previously been extended until 31 August 2026 but will now continue for another seven months.

David Vasmer, Shropshire Council Cabinet member for highways and waste, said:

“The cold and wet weather we experienced last winter resulted in a big increase in the number of potholes on our roads, and this summer’s heatwave has also taken its toll on our highways network – increasing the demand for repairs.“We have delivered a significant amount of work already and I’m really pleased that we’ve agreed to extend the contract so that we will be able to continue and increase this work without any interruption or delay.”

Vasmer said tackling potholes and improving the condition of the county's roads remained a council commitment.

22,000 potholes repaired in eight months

The latest figures underline the intensity of the maintenance programme.

With more than 22,000 potholes repaired since January and teams currently completing around 780 each week, maintaining sufficient repair capacity has become particularly important ahead of another winter.

Multevo uses its Multihog road maintenance machines as part of its work in the county, allowing teams to undertake highway repairs using specialist equipment.

The company said extending the partnership would also provide greater certainty for its workforce as preparations begin for the coming winter maintenance period.

Nick Carter, Director of Multevo, said:

“Multevo are delighted that our award-winning partnership with Shropshire Council is set to continue.“The extension provides recognition for our dedicated people’s hard work, whilst also providing reassurance so we can continue to serve the county in order to improve the road network over the incoming winter period.”

Keeping repairs moving during procurement

The extension also provides Shropshire Council with a bridge between its existing maintenance arrangements and the longer-term contract it is preparing to procure.

Rather than allowing the current agreement to expire while that process takes place, the council will retain Multevo's existing capacity through the remainder of 2026 and the first three months of 2027.

That continuity could prove particularly important if another difficult winter creates further deterioration across the highway network.

With weather extremes increasing the workload and hundreds of defects currently being addressed each week, the immediate priority is keeping repair teams on the road.

For Shropshire, extending the Multevo agreement means the pothole programme can continue without a break while the council prepares the next generation of its highways maintenance contract.