Road maintenance in Gloucestershire needs addressing

As a recently retired Civil Engineer with 20 years experience in Highway maintenance I feel able to comment on what I see locally. I must also take issue with the prepared statement published in last weeks’ Stroud News & Journal by Councillor Morris on road safety. He is avoiding the real issue, he and his colleagues need to challenge and get a grip on how Highway maintenance is procured and managed in our County. Counting potholes is not a measure of road safety. This is a fire fighting measure and not a true indicator of the safety of our roads. The poor overall condition of sections of many roads in Gloucestershire stems from the incomplete asset management plan and the way safety defects are recorded and the findings processed and actioned. As I understand it, the plan only has data for the A class roads, not the B and unclassified roads which many of us use daily.

Even on A class roads the data does not appear to be effectively managed. There is a local example near Chalford where the surface condition is so poor that people are driving on the wrong side of the road to avoid the worst of the potholes. The need for this section of road to be resurfaced has been evident for two years to any self-respecting Highway Engineer. The little bits of patching and pothole repairs that have been done are a waste of money and have put Highway operatives at risk whilst doing them.

Vehicle safety fences, safety barriers to most people which are damaged in collisions are not being repaired for months, even years in some cases. This means they are not providing the protection for which they are designed and installed and actually create a greater risk to the safety of road users, that's us, especially motor cyclists. The delay in undertaking repairs will make financial recovery from the insurers more difficult. For comparison National Highways would expect repairs undertaken within a week. Examples in Gloucestershire can be seen on the A38 Fromebridge Roundabout and also Zoons Court Roundabout on the A 417 at Barnwood.

Even the bridge parapet on the A419 crossing over the railway at Chalford, damaged in a road traffic accident was left in a temporary state of repair for 5 years because the Council weren't aware the repair hadn't been done. Further more I have asked for confirmation that the repair has now been completed 100%, I can't get an answer 8 months later.

I have tried to engage with senior Managers at Highways but either just get ignored or fobbed off. I’ve had similar responses from Councillors, hence my decision, not taken lightly to air my observations in public.

Whilst many Highways staff do a great job there is significant room for improvement to ensure our roads are fit for purpose, that we make the best possible use of limited budgets for the benefit of our community.

We also need Councillors who take time to understand the issues and are prepared to be accountable to the public and make a difference, not just protect their perceived image of Gloucestershire. Both the Police and Fire Service in Gloucestershire are in special measures and my perception is that elements of the Highway service are no different. Only when Councillors actually acknowledge problems will they then be addressed and solutions implemented to fix them.

Paul Fillis

BSc.CEng.MICE