Culverts allow watercourses to pass beneath roads and help reduce flooding.
If you see a blocked, damaged, or collapsed culvert, you can tell us using our online reporting form.
Our online reporting form takes around 3 to 5 minutes to complete.
How we assess reports
Please tell us:
- the location of the culvert
- the extent of the issue
- photographs if available
If you are reporting an emergency that requires immediate attention, please call us on 0300 373 3306. An emergency on the highway is defined as something that is very likely to present an imminent threat to life, serious injury or serious damage to property. Our team will assess the severity of your report and escalate accordingly.
Investigatory levels
We will usually investigate where:
- water flow is restricted
- flooding occurs
- collapse is suspected
- erosion threatens the highway
Priority will depend on the level of risk to the highway network.
What happens after you submit a report
An inspection will be arranged and appropriate action taken where required.
How we prioritise repairs
We assess defects using our Highway Condition and Safety Inspection Procedure and classify them as:
- Emergency Defect – we will make the defect safe as quickly as possible, usually within 2 hours
- High Priority Defect – we will repair the defect within 5 working days
- Standard Priority Defect – we will repair the defect within 20 working days
- Monitor Only – we will record the defect and continue to monitor it through future inspections
We carry out a site-specific risk assessment for every defect before deciding what action to take. This means a defect that meets an investigatory level may not always require immediate repair.