Time to act now on 'disgraceful' roads
Residents are fighting for crumbling roads to be resurfaced.
Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians say the state of three main roads in Havant is horrendous and have likened them to dirt tracks.
This winter's icy weather has left the surface of Middle Park Way, Park House Farm Way, and Southleigh Road in a terrible condition with much of the surface disintegrating.
Ann Buckley, who is the county councillor for Leigh Park, said something had to be done as large chippings were flying up at pedestrians and drivers - and were heavy enough to crack a car's windscreen.
She is angry as residents campaigned for two years for the pothole-ridden roads to be resurfaced.
Residents counted as many as 130 potholes in Park House Farm Way.
After all the campaigning, residents breathed a sigh of relief when resurfacing work was done last autumn by Hampshire County Council.
But the crumbling surface is now providing more misery for residents.
Cllr Buckley described the roads as 'disgraceful'.
'These busy roads are bus routes and were resurfaced last year,' she said.
'Immediately, chippings started to break away and have scattered over the road surface and pavements.
'It is increasingly difficult to negotiate these roads without chippings flying up from the road.
'The work has clearly not been undertaken to the right specification. These roads were dreadful before the freeze and the bad weather has made things even worse.
'Most of the surface laid has now disintegrated.'
Richard Brown, 66, of Oxenwood Green, Warren Park, said: 'The chippings have come out of the holes.
'It's worse if you are on a bike than anything else.
'The stuff is being chucked up straight into people's windscreens.'
County council officials said the road surface was redressed as part of a rolling programme.
The work involves spraying bitumen on the road and then covering it with a layer of stone chippings.
The chippings only become fully embedded under the action of vehicle tyres, a spokeswoman said.
She said the recent weather had taken a huge toll on road conditions generally. Despite calls, no-one was available to comment, but the council said it was looking to repair weather-affected roads.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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