Friday 29th April 2005

Rural roads worsened in 2004

Country lanes crumble as motorways improve, says Government

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Got the hump over poor roads?

The government's latest road condition statistics show a shocking deterioration in the condition of Britain's 41,250 miles of country lanes. The number of defects -- such as poor surface and broken edges -- was up by about 15 per cent in 2004 on Britain's unclassified rural roads, the second biggest category in miles.

B roads -- the largest category with 44,375 miles -- shows a mild improvement, while motorways have improved most. The figures show that the number of defects fell by some 25 per cent. The Department of Transport said it carries out visual checks as well as structural surveys on the major road network.

According to the report, the amount spent on road maintenance has risen in the period 1999 to 2004 from around £2billion to over £2.5billion. If true, then it's starting to pay off in terms of fewer defects. But imagine how much better it would have been if the money raised by speed cameras was used to improve the roads instead of buying more pointless devices.

• Government road conditions survey

[z_chromozone]

No surprise there, I think I drive on some of the worst every day. Bedfordshire back roads and my TVR are not the best of friends.


Z

[zonk]

I think (start of conspriacy theory) the reason why roads are allowed to get into this state is to slow people down (end conspiracy theory). We've all driven along badly maintained roads and I do drive more slowly.

[IPAddis]

We are in one of the few weeks of the government calendar where they will listen intently. Ring up the local party HQ and ask them what they are planning to do about it!

I will tonight.

Ian A.

[chimyellow]

It is not just the back roads
If anyone has been along the A421 (I think) from M1 J13 to Milton Keynes you will know what I mean

[D Fender]

zonk said:

I think (start of conspriacy theory) the reason why roads are allowed to get into this state is to slow people down (end conspiracy theory). We've all driven along badly maintained roads and I do drive more slowly.

But the point is, as the local councils, the Highways Authority and the DoT (or whatever it's called now) should know: at best the surface problem is the cause of major deterioration, at worst it is a symptom of something serious already happening under the surface.

Even if the crack/pothole wasn't caused by a local failure of the road structure, it will allow in water, which will wash away the fines in the road coinstruction, which will lead to further settlement of the surface, and so more cracking and potholing, which leads to a vicious circle of decay.

And that's just in summer. In winter the water freezes and breaks up the road even more.

Before you know it, what could have been patch repaired, now needs the entire road digging up and rebuilding from the foundations up.

Yet another example of Not Labour housekeeping. Have they never heard of "A stitch in times saves nine"?! Is it any wonder they can't understand why the Tories reckon they can spend less but achieve more?

[elderly]

Our Parish Council tried persistenly to
get 'Highways' to come out and mend potholes
around our village.
They would come along and mend a few but
leave most unrepaired.

They claimed that they did repair all the
potholes .....
it turned out they were correct .....
what they were not repairing were 'Ruts',
they said the Parish Council never asked them to mend Ruts ..... just Potholes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MADNESS.

>> Edited by elderly on Friday 29th April 22:44

[nelly1]

Our councils' reason for not dealing with the potholes is the high cost of claims for damage put in by malicious members of the public whos cars have been damaged by potholes.

Why they can't work out the bleedin' obvious is beyond me!

I wish I worked in local government. I could have endless fun smashing my head against walls

....or more to the point, smashing their heads against walls

[dcb]

elderly said:

Our Parish Council tried persistenly to get 'Highways' to come out and mend potholes around our village. They would come along and mend a few but leave most unrepaired.

I had an interesting tootle last week along the French Opal coast.

Or for the more sedate, a trip to the hypermarket at Boulogne to stock up on cultural supplies at 1 Euro a litre.

I now understand why French cars have the longest suspension travel, and the smoothest ride, of any cars in Europe.

Pesky rough French roads, but on the other hand excellent lane discpline on the autoroutes.

[mr2steve]

Is it just me or do the fools in the local highways agencies not see that it would be much better to completely resurface roads once rather than continually (and rather badly) repair potholes in the roads. Our road tax hard at work as usual.

[andygo]

You ought to try the back roads near here. (Southport)

Years ago, competing on 12 car rallies they were good for 90+. With the advent of megaton tractors some of the roads, (built on dykes as the ground is pretty soft) the best you can do in some places is 35.

Ruts, potholes and crumbling edges have meant several roads are now single track with passing places.

What annoys me is that the 'poor' subsidised farmers in their vastly expensive tractors running on cheap red diesel and little road tax etc and huge off trailers full of subsidised produce are causing the damage.


Rant over. For now, anyway.