'Faulty material' blamed as crumbling roads are dug up for repairs ... again

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Thursday, September 02, 2010
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This is HullandEastRiding

Motorists face disruption after defective materials caused roads across the East Riding to crumble, the Mail can reveal.

Up to 20 roads may have been laid with the faulty surface, according to East Riding Council.

The authority has ordered contractors to dig up and repair eight roads after numerous potholes appeared in recent months.

Those affected include the A165, the major traffic artery from Hull to Bridlington, and roads in Beverley, Driffield, Hessle, Cottingham and Wansford.

And the region could face even greater disruption as officials warn they cannot rule out potential future problems at 12 other sites.

The council stressed work will be carried out at no further cost to the taxpayer, with contractors picking up the bill.

Officials say they became aware that a plant, which supplies six of its roadwork contractors, had provided defective batches of the material.

Peter Arden, principal engineer for East Riding Council, said: "The council has inspected 20 roads that contractors used the same type of material on. Nine were found to be defective.

"The surface of the roads has been crumbling and not staying bound together, which has caused potholes.

"It is possible, but not probable that the other roads will have to be redone.

"We will be keeping a close eye on the rest."

The Mail asked the council to name the other locations but it refused.

Mr Arden believes a contaminate entered the mixture during production.

"What we think is the problem is that some other material has got into the mixture in some batches," he explained.

The council says it will try to plan the work for Sundays to minimise disruption.

Last month, drivers were disrupted when three roads in Hessle had to be re-laid.

King Street in Cottingham was re-surfaced in April.

The council has not yet set a date for work on the A165 in Coniston and Skirlaugh, the B1249 in Wansford and the junction of George Street/Lockwood Street and Middle Street South in Driffield.

The council already has a £194 million backlog of repairs for its 2,000-mile road network.

Jeff Atkin, of Beverley and District Taxi Association, said the East Riding is riddled with potholes.

He said: "Customers often complain about bumpy rides caused by the potholes.

"They can damage your car but as a keen cyclist, I'm most concerned about the danger they pose.

"The roadworks will cause disruption, even if they take place on a Sunday, but it has to be done."

Malcolm Simms, director of Asphalt Industry Alliance, said the defective material should not have left the plant in the first place.

He said: "European factory control requirements mean that the problem with material should have been caught before it left the plant.

"It would have saved a lot of money and effort."

A safety inspection of the highways in March found a significant increase in the level of structural defects. The number of potholes was almost double that seen the previous winter.

In May, the council announced a further £2.6 million is to be spent repairing East Riding roads damaged by the winter freeze.

The extra funding is in addition to £1 million from the Department Of Transport to help deal with the winter damage

This takes the total being spent on planned maintenance this year to £12 million.

Officials have said they will target the extra spending on roads damaged the worst.

A spokesperson for the AA said the remedial work should ideally be completed before the winter:

He said: "Although it may be an absolute pain for motorists by causing them disruption, it's the best option that the council acts sooner rather than later."

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19 Comments

  • Profile image for This is HullandEastRiding

    by Bloody fed up, and ready to, opt out

    Friday, September 03 2010, 12:23AM

    “I've got a lovely car that cost me £60k. I'm ready to sell it, and go everywhere by public transport. The world has gone mad. You can't open a newspaper, or switch on the television, without some twerp telling you that simply by exhaling you are polluting the planet. What ever happened to the England we were so proud of?”

  • Profile image for This is HullandEastRiding

    by I'm gay, and I like walking

    Friday, September 03 2010, 12:14AM

    “I really don't mind, as I don't drive, but if I stubbed my toe, or broke a nail due to poor pavemental husbandry, or highways hi-jinx, I'd be fair vexed.”

  • Profile image for This is HullandEastRiding

    by Driver, West Hull

    Thursday, September 02 2010, 11:03PM

    “The A165 is in an appalling state and I'm not talking potholes. Whoever did the barrier repairs along the road after Beeford just before the wind far need their eyes testing. The road is not flat, has lumps and bumps everywhere and is truly a dangerous section of road. Anyone who doesn't know the road well and all it's faults and is doing the speed limit is liable to come off the road altogether. The council should be suing the Contractor and getting them to re-do the work. Thousands of pounds of tax payers cash will have be used on these substandard repairs. Disgraceful.”

  • Profile image for This is HullandEastRiding

    by Steve, Hull

    Thursday, September 02 2010, 7:54PM

    “I'm from the west of the city but isn't it a rail bridge over a road which means its a railways problem and not a HCC problem. OF course I may be wrong and if it's a road bridge over a rail line then it could be a council problem unless of course it is on a road like the A63 in which case it would be an highways agency problem. I'm off to a, dark room I so much wanted to blame Mr Minns and have talked myself out of it.”

  • Profile image for This is HullandEastRiding

    by Ranter, Hull.

    Thursday, September 02 2010, 7:53PM

    “The Council tenders work out to the bidder who supplies the best value for money, plus who ever puts in the biggest underhand bung.”

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