Motorists are dodging the many potholes along a major road by driving on the wrong side of the road to avoid them.
They say they’re being driven potty because Wokingham Borough Council won’t repair holes in Lodge Road, Hurst – part of the busy B3030 Winnersh to Hurst – Twyford road.
Teacher Sarah Barnard of Hurst said: “The potholes have been a problem for a good few months. They’re getting very dangerous, not only for vehicle drivers, but for motorcyclists and pedal cyclists.
“They’re covering so much of the road now you can’t avoid driving through them. Trying to miss them you’re in danger of going off the road or even going into ongoing traffic. I’ve seen people swerving to avoid potholes.
“We’re encouraged to cycle now – but they’re covering so much of the road now you can’t avoid them.
“I made a complaint to Wokingham Borough Council. I was then told someone had been to look at what I’d reported but it was judged not be dangerous.
“The worst spot is coming south from Whistley Green just after the 40mph sign. Near Lea Farm there are holes in the road, with loose material coming out of them. It’s a skid hazard.”
Pat Davis, retired, of Hurst, said other Hurst roads were dangerously potholed as well. “A lot of Hurst people have been complaining about this for months,” she said.
Another resident said: “People are driving on the wrong side of [Lodge] road to avoid potholes with the obvious possibility of accidents.”
Last week one hole at the side of Lodge Road was 7cm deep. Residents have claimed Wokingham Borough has said potholes will only be mended if they’re more than 4cm deep. Otherwise they’re not considered safety critical. It’s also been claimed that WBC has said you can phone to report only one pothole at a time.
Cllr Paul Fishwick, executive member for active travel, transport and highways at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “Our residents’ safety is our number one priority and we continually check the condition of our roads, using technical surveys and visual inspections by trained staff, as well as technical assessments and analysis. We then use this information to identify which roads will be resurfaced as part of our road maintenance programme.
“Our highways team have been out on site along B3030 Lodge Road in Hurst. This road has been identified for resurfacing later this year, as part of our road maintenance programme, and our highway asset management team will continue to inspect and make safe any dangerous defects until the resurfacing works are carried out. Further details about our road maintenance programme and how we identify the roads that are resurfaced can be found on our website.
“Sometimes, issues with the roads happen that we can’t plan for which need to be fixed. This could be a pothole appearing, or damage due to extreme weather events.
“We encourage residents to report any pothole or issues with a road via our online ‘report it’ system on our website. Our highways team will continue to carry out both planned and reactive works, when required, to keep our residents safe while travelling around the borough”.
