|
Motorists face disruption after defective materials caused roads across the East Riding to crumble, 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 within months of the repairs taking place.
Those affected include the A165, the major traffic artery from Hull to Bridlington including Skirlaugh, 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."
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." |
The latest edition of the Skirlaugh newsletter is now ready for download from the website, its also the first edition with colour pictures. To Download any of the newsletter going back to 2003 
HUMBERSIDE POLICE are trying to locate the driver of a lorry that is suspected to have been involved in a road traffic collision on Hull Road, Skirlaugh at around 1030hrs this morning (Tuesday 13 July 2010).