The state of our roads these days!

[winjim]

there are design lifes tho - for proper roads it used to be 20 for black and 30 for concrete for new builds - but that is based on the traffic levels (HGV essentially) behaving as predicted - thin layer surfacing is the flavour at the moment - they did all the estate roads around where I live 18months ago - Im interested to see how long it is before it deteriorates

If it's lasted 18 months you're doing better than us :-(

 

[psmiffy]

In the East Anglia fens you are on a hiding to nothing - most of the roads are stupidly thick as they are - nowt much can be done about it except for resurfacing the worst parts and hope for the best

 

[summerdays]

if you don't report them then it's rare that the council find them themselves, I don't report each one, but do report those I think are bad, particularly for cyclists, and I usually mention that it's in the likely path of a cyclist. I suspect the council probably raises its eyebrows and says something like it's that moaning cyclist again, but it does seem to result in action.

 

[jamma]

What you need is a major bike race finishing along the horribly potholed roads. Settle and the approaches to it are being extensively repaired ready for the Tour of Yorkshire stage one finish later this month - very useful :-)

Its the only way the village i live in just gad a road relayed due to the national championship road race coming up soon

 

[mjr]

For example, one of the big issues in the East Anglian fens in recent years has been changes in groundwater. This has resulted in roads that have shrunk/lifted/shifted in ways that were never envisaged.

Where "in recent years" is since at least the 1630s...

But yes, road life varies and what I was told about the North Somerset Levels and Mendips may not be true here, but they certainly don't replace roads more often than 15 yearly if they can help it.

Also, someone mentioned traffic levels behaving as predicted. I seem to recall that motor traffic in general has grown slower than gov.uk forecasted for a while - has HGV traffic done the same?

 

[psmiffy]

Here's the figures...

Largely irrelevant - HGVs are what causes the damage for the most part - ie the number of standard axles that have bumped across a particular piece of road - I havnt counted what is using the nice new piece of road at the end of my street - but is probably in the order of less than 10 standard axles a week - the road at the end of the nice new bit is going to be orders of magnitude higher

Congestion of course is something else

 

[classic33]

Reinstatment work signed off as fit for purpose less than two months ago, contractor and council in agreement, put the project two weeks behind.
12 days ago it was decided it failed to meet the required standards. Five miles of roadwork require reinstating, again. Council having issued the partial road closure permits, deny it.

With regards reporting surface defects, why not try this.
On a route used eight times a weekend(four day), a list was made of every defect, on A4 paper describing the defect, whilst the maps that went with it showed their location. Each numbered. Five sheets in total(excluding maps) of defects that I was told were not there.

As for seeing where is going to be dug up, does anyone else use roadworks.org ?

 

[mjr]

Here's the figures...

Sorry if I'm overlooking it but I'm not seeing a comparison between forecast and actual numbers in that? Something like this one made about the DfT's over-pessimistic car traffic forecasts:

(Source: www.carbonbrief.org )

 

[Dave7]

I just wont do more than 24 mph now (down hill of course ).............it is just too scary.
I also worry as we sometimes are forced to swerve (if only by 12") to miss a hidden pot hole and many drivers seem incapable of understanding the problem for cyclists.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I just wont do more than 24 mph now (down hill of course ).............it is just too scary.
I also worry as we sometimes are forced to swerve (if only by 12") to miss a hidden pot hole and many drivers seem incapable of understanding the problem for cyclists.

I'm reluctant to do more than 30 mph these days. If i've ridden the road a day or so before i'll feel more confident than if i haven't been on it for a while and maybe potholes have appeared. Yes those drivers behind seem to think we're taking the piss by moving from side to side to avoid the rough bits. The other day i had to signal right to go round a big patch of crap road and the tool behind blasted me with his horn.

 

[ColinJ]

What you need is a major bike race finishing along the horribly potholed roads. Settle and the approaches to it are being extensively repaired ready for the Tour of Yorkshire stage one finish later this month - very useful :-)

We got that for the TdF but you only had to go a few yards off the race route and the road surfaces were as crap as ever!

 

[marknotgeorge]

Staffordshire County Council have in the last couple of weeks begun surface dressing various roads in Burton. The thing about surface dressing is that for it to be effective, the road needs to be in a reasonable condition and potholes, etc need to be patched. So they're spending money fixing roads that (after patching) are in quite reasonable condition, when there are other roads in Burton that are in very poor condition. When I queried this, I was told that potholes and surface dressing come out of different budgets. They've also been out repainting white lines, some of which have been repainted in potholes. Presumably line painting's a third budget...

 

[doog]

Dappled light through trees and potholes on a down hill...nightmare scenario...had it today and you simply hope fate is on your side again.

Things have got worse but here in ruralshire their answer to rubbish roads is to put that loose dressing down on a thin layer of tarmac...the build up of chippings is on a par with pot holes in the danger stakes and is still bad after a year or so. They are meant to clean it up but rarely do.

As for reporting pot holes, guilty as charged - the problem is where do you start..there are so many they couldnt possibly repair them all as in many cases the whole road surface is literally disintegrating.

 

[Hip Priest]

There are so many potholes in Northumberland that it'd be easier to report the smooth bits to the council.

 

[classic33]

What you need is a major bike race finishing along the horribly potholed roads. Settle and the approaches to it are being extensively repaired ready for the Tour of Yorkshire stage one finish later this month - very useful :-)

For the next three months! Red circle, numerous works. Move out and it gets worse.