How we assess and fix road defects

This page explains:

• how we find and assess defects
• what happens after you report a problem
• how we decide what gets fixed first
• what timescales you can expect

If you’ve reported a problem, what happens next?

When you report a road or pavement defect:

1. we assess it - one of our trained inspectors visits the location to check the condition and assess any safety risk
2. we decide what action is needed - the defect is risk‑assessed using our roads inspection policy. This tells us whether a repair is needed and how quickly it should be done
3. we repair it or continue to monitor it:
   • safety‑related defects are scheduled for repair within set timescales
   • less serious defects are recorded and monitored and may be included in future maintenance work

Not every reported defect will be repaired straight away. This helps us focus limited resources on the most urgent and safety‑critical issues.

How we find road and pavement problems

We identify defects in two ways.

Regular inspections

Our inspectors regularly check roads and pavements across the region. How often inspections take place depends on:

• the type of road or pavement
• how busy it is

Reports from the public

You can report a problem at any time. Public reports help us identify issues that may develop between inspections.

How long repairs usually take

If you provide clear location details, we aim to:

• inspect the issue within 20 working days
• repair safety‑related defects within 60 calendar days, depending on severity and available resources

During busy periods, inspections and repairs may take longer.

How we prioritise repairs

All reported defects are assessed and placed into a priority category.

Repair priority levels

Priority 1 – critical risk
Immediate danger to road users
Repaired within 24 hours

Priority 2 – high risk
Significant safety concerns
Repaired within 5 working days

Priority 3 – medium risk
Noticeable defect but not an immediate hazard
Repaired within up to 60 working days, depending on workload

Priority 4 – low risk
Minor defect with limited impact
No set repair timescale. Please report again if it worsens

Priority 5 – no risk
No action required

Why some reports show as closed

If your report is assessed as lower priority, it may appear as closed on the public reporting system.

This does not mean it has been ignored.

• the issue remains logged in our internal system
• inspectors continue to monitor the location during routine inspections
• if the defect worsens or becomes a safety concern, it will be reassessed

Planned maintenance and resurfacing

Each year, we renew or resurface around 103 miles of roads and pavements across Dumfries and Galloway.

Our maintenance programme:

• is agreed each winter
• starts from April onwards

Requests for resurfacing are considered as part of this annual process rather than through individual defect reports.

Roads we are not responsible for

Some roads are not maintained by the council.

Trunk roads

• A75, A76, A701, A77, A751 – managed by Amey
• A7 – managed by BEAR Scotland

Motorways

• M74 – managed by Autolink

We also do not maintain:

• private roads
• new roads that have not yet been adopted by the council

Utility covers and roadworks

Manhole covers and access points usually belong to utility companies such as Scottish Water, Openreach or Scottish Power.

• we maintain the road surface around them
• problems with the covers themselves are passed to the relevant company

Utility companies must:

• get permits before working on public roads
• reinstate roads to national standards

If repairs do not meet these standards, we require the utility company to fix them.