Renfrewshire's rural roads will see a frenzy of activity over the next 20 days as Renfrewshire Council launches a £200,000 repairs blitz designed to fill 6,000 potholes.

Over 800 tonnes of Tarmac will be laid to tackle the damage done by winter rains and frost.

Councillor Marie McGurk, convener of the council's environment and infrastructure policy board, said keeping Renfrewshire's roads in good condition is a full time job: "The wet winter did serious damage to our roads and the rural routes in particular. In the past, we've had to concentrate all our efforts on the main roads where there are high volumes of traffic including heavy lorries. These routes are vital to Renfrewshire's economic existence."

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Wet weather is particularly damaging to roads. In winter, frost cracks the road surface and then the rain floods the cracks. This means the road surface is effectively floating on a layer of water. When a vehicle goes over the road, it acts like a hydraulic hammer and breaks up the surface.

(GK/JM)