Pothole Parade

[David Whipp]

And this is the repair done a few weeks ago a couple of yards up the road from the last photo. No evidence of bitumen or emulsion around the edge.



A similar pothole had to be filled in last winter at this location. A section of the road about 5 or 6 metres long is crazed and is ripe for further potholes to develop. What's needed is for the whole section to be planed out and resurfaced. Who knows if the money will run to doing such a proper repair? But how much is it costing to do short lived patching up?

[Stanley]

The people who prioritise spending cuts do not have any conception of the cumulative effects on the infrastructure and what's more, don't care uless it is affecting them.

[David Whipp]

The customer service team is telling me that another highway I reported a defect on isn't adopted...

This time, on the pavement linking the end of Avon Drive with Skipton Road. The full length of the pavement is down to basecoat, which is wearing out itself in patches (as seen below).



Stanley, my report of your loose metalwork has been referred back to me with the question: What type of 'metalwork'? Is it for example a metal railing, gully, manhole cover...?

I've advised them that it's a loose manhole cover.

[Stanley]

Yup! That's what I said it was.... Funny thing about the footpath above is that it has a street lamp on it. At one time, the installation of street lighting signified an adopted road or path.

[David Whipp]

Funny thing about the footpath above is that it has a street lamp on it. At one time, the installation of street lighting signified an adopted road or path.

This path is adopted. It's listed as such on the highways maintainable at public expense and coloured in as such on the old hardcopy records.

The problem is that the highway authority's electronic records are inaccurate.

BUDC did erect street lights on unadopted highways; I recall having an argument with LCC about looking after one of them which must be close to your front door Stanley.

[David Whipp]

Years ago, I had to argue strongly with street lighting engineers about this street light, which lights the paths between Wellhouse Square and East Hill Street (near Stanley's house).

I think the highway authority nervousness about this stemmed from their concern that highways can become 'adopted by repair'. In other words, if they do some repairs on an unadopted street, they can be forced to maintain them at public expense.

[David Whipp]

Not a pothole, but ponding in Victory Park. Pedestrians have to paddle through this to bypass the vehicle barrier.

[Stanley]

There's a gulley grate outside the bottom entrance to Letcliffe park that is sited badly and doesn't catch the water running down Manchester Road, the water spreads across the road below and in a frost can become a skating rink.

[David Whipp]

There's a gulley grate outside the bottom entrance to Letcliffe park that is sited badly and doesn't catch the water running down Manchester Road, the water spreads across the road below and in a frost can become a skating rink.

Thanks Stanley.

A highway team has just (within the last two weeks) done some work on the drainage (putting in a new larger gulley grate etc) at the top of the widened section of Manchester Road. Or do you mean further up, where the run off comes out of the retaining walls?

[Stanley]

It's higher up at the lower entrance to the park and yes, it's the run off from the park walls. Over the years resurfacing has isolated the grate and when the one just above the gate clogs with rubbish the water completely misses the next grate down. I pointed it out to the lads who did the last resurfacing job but it fell on deaf ears. If you go up there on a rainy day you'll see the problem, the whole of the road below is covered with a sheet of water down into the widened part.

[David Whipp]

East View Terrace, at the top of St James Road.

[David Whipp]

This is Bracewell Street yesterday, after the large pothole (pictured a while ago) had been repaired.

[Stanley]

Keep nagging them David!

[David Whipp]

One of a series of potholes on the side street which runs across the top of the lower avenues. This route is well used by pedestrians going to and fro the town centre.

[David Whipp]

Another 'after' one. This is on Skipton Road and one of a series which have been filled in. Given the poor condition of the carriageway on this stretch, I suspect there'll be more patches to add to the quilt.

[Tripps]

One of a series of potholes on the side street which runs across the top of the lower avenues. This route is well used by pedestrians going to and fro the town centre.

With just a bit of imagination - that might be a small drumlin. Never heard of one until yesterday - now I'm seeing them everywhere.

[Stanley]

When you think, you could probably repeat this topic for every hard-pressed council in the country.... The backlog must be enormous. All Labour's fault?

[David Whipp]

With just a bit of imagination - that might be a small drumlin. Never heard of one until yesterday - now I'm seeing them everywhere.

Nahh... nothing like the mounded appearance of a drumlin!

Though there is a good link between drumlins and potholes. Any guesses?

The backlog must be enormous.

A figure that sticks in my head from a few years ago for Lancashire was that there was enough money to resurface roads/pavements every 140 odd years. The expected lifetime of a surface is about 20 years.

[David Whipp]

Federation Street. No big potholes, but a previous treatment of surface dressing has all but worn away.

[Thomo]

Drumlins and potholes, ice age and water under high pressure David.

[David Whipp]

Yes, I think ice is the connection. Drumlins were moulded by the ice sheet; one cause of potholes forming is water freezing in cracks in the surface.

[Whyperion]

There was supposed to be from the tarmac industry a heated gizmo(oversized flat iron in a way) that could attach to a small lorry, get hydralically placed over smaller holes up to about 1mSq, heat the existing area boil off the water, melt the surface which would then run smooth. Was supposed to be cheaper for patch repairs, don't know what came of it.

[David Whipp]

I've seen some reports about this process, but haven't noticed it being done round here.

[David Whipp]

There's a series of depressions/reinstatements on Fernbank Avenue which fill with water when wet and splash pedestrians. I notice that these have now been marked out with white lines.

[Stanley]

I noticed yesterday that the tarmac infill below the steps to the War Memorial which I think followed the maintenance of the electrical system, has lifted considerably and broken. Definitely a trip hazard. I'll do a pic when we go for our walk....