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HATC SAMPLE EDITION:
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6th February, 2026
Winter gives rise to record number of potholes
Budapest’s already poor road conditions have deteriorated sharply in recent days, with a record number of potholes reported.
According to data from city-owned company, Budapest Közút, 6,020 road defects were registered between January 27 and February 2.
On February 2, inspectors reported 1,966 new defects, the highest daily figure so far.
Nearly 25% of the 1,104 km road network maintained by Budapest Közút is currently in poor condition and in need of repair.
The situation has been aggravated by repeated freeze-thaw cycles, when water enters cracks during the day, freezes and expands at night, then further breaks up the asphalt as it thaws.
Heavy traffic also accelerates the damage.
Budapest Közút maintains 30 repair crews in three shifts, partly with external contractors, and has increased capacity since January 19.
Inspectors patrol roads, prioritising defects that pose immediate safety risks.
As permanent repairs are not possible in sub-zero temperatures, crews use cold asphalt for temporary fixes, which works even on wet or frozen surfaces but is not lasting.
Hot asphalt repairs can begin in March or April when temperatures exceed 5°C.
Drivers who suffer pothole damage should notify the road authority and police, document the incident with photos, location, time, and damaged parts, and consider separate pothole insurance to speed up compensation, HVG writes.
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Sources regularly consulted, with abbreviations used in text: Népszabadság (N); Magyar Hírlap (MH); Világgazdaság (VG); Napi Gazdaság (NG); Magyar Nemzet (MN); Népszava (Nsz); Kossuth Rádió news (KR); nightly TV news (TV).
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