Villagers slam delays over road repairs (From Gazette & Herald)

The road between Sutton on the Forest and Huby is also dangerous with some huge holes. It's only a few weeks since it was closed for a week for repairs but only pieces of it were done. the council will be getting claims for damage to vehicles unless it is rectified very soon.(If they haven't already)
The practice of "patching" on such roads never works as the holes quickly re-appear.

Rumour had it the MOD was going to throw up a "Bailey Bridge" in the interrim in order to keep the direct route from York to RAF Linton open. I suppose they can't now the official work has begun ... however much it may be delayed.

"and the council is also making every effort to maintain repairs on the diversion route.”
Not so. The minor diversion route between Aldwark Bridge and Alne has grown progressively dangerous as the pot holes caused by the heavy traffic have become deeper and wider. Since September there has not been a grain of filler applied to any of the pot holes. This is an unlit, winding, country road and is now increasingly unsafe. There have already been incidents of near misses and buckled wheels but no response from NYCC. Better for NYCC spokesperson to say nothing than to irritate with false comments.

Merchant Way in Copmanthorpe is dangerous.
The council does nothing, and the parish council does nothiing.

I think some important issues may have been missed here! The volume of traffic and number of people affected has to be seen to be believed. Remember, ALL traffic to and from the RAF Station which cannot use Aldwark Bridge has to use this route. Tankers, delivery vehicles, freight and removal lorries, military and civillian personnel then add all the cattle and feed lorries required by local farmers, normal farm traffic, buses, school runs in both directions for Linton, Alne and Shipton schools along with the 'normal' daily traffic which used this route previously! I appreciate this is the only route available but as mmarshal stated the road is totally ruined as on many occassions there is no option but to move onto the verges to pass other traffic. Obviously this will have to be repaired, at a cost, once the road is re-opened but I can't help thinking some of this damage could have been avoided if repair work had been hastened. Local businesses, which are very much needed I might add, are being pinched even tighter than they already were in these tough financial times, to see any fold as a result of these delays would be devastating to our community. But I think above all these points the most important is the impact this has on being able to call upon the emergency services and expecting them to be able to respond. I was in the unfortunate position of having to call an ambulance for somebody before Christmas, it was an hour and three quarters before one was able to attend! It simply does not bear thinking about the consequences should somebody need their help more urgently!

It should also be noted that as the council are ''making every effort to get the work completed as quickly and as safely as possible" they appear to rushed a few calculations and the new road (such as it is) appears to be a good foot and a half narrower than it was before! I've walked over the pedestrian foot bridge next to the main road bridge almost everyday since the initial flooding in September, I say almost as for the first few weeks I drove the diversion and found that financially it was impossible due to the petrol costs, I did 'treat' myself to a drive round the diversion just before christmas and the state of the road round Alne,Youlton and Tollerton has deteriorated at a rate that is frankly astonishing. An almost single track road supporting traffic to the RAF camp, residents and local businesses isnt going to work! The verges outside some people's homes have been worn away due to traffic having to avoid potholes,coaches and on one occasion an 18 wheeler truck.
What the council spokesperson has not said is that it took them weeks to even assess the road and then when they did start work and we though progress was forthcoming the nice hardcore that had been laid was being dug up as there was a gas main that had been 'forgotten'.! First the road would be fixed by late October, then it was just before Christmas. I'll be amazed if this road is open before the end of the month and when it does open how long is it going to take them to repair the now battered diversion route? More to the point with the road now narrower than it was before (and that could be a bit tight!) how many wing mirrors will be lost? Ladies and gents place your bets!!

come on folks look on the bright side,we er getting an ART BARGE.

I have been watching "The World's Most Dangerous Roads" on BBC and it has made me realise just how lucky we are in this country to have such a decent road network.

Nearly came to grief on this diversion myself when attending a wedding night party at Aldwark Manor just before Christmas. Pitch dark, raining, and foggy. Got to between Youlton and the Aldwark turning and met a massive artic grain tipper TOWING ANOTHER ONE right on an S-bend. Couldnt see diddle behind me to reverse, so my (female) passenger had to get out and guide me back as best she could. Not the best start to the evening.

gjh wrote:
I have been watching "The World's Most Dangerous Roads" on BBC and it has made me realise just how lucky we are in this country to have such a decent road network.

You couldn't be more wrong! We pay road tax to end up with the Anglo-Saxon cart tracks the council claim they are maintaining! Their lack of progress is costing everybody a fortune in increased fuel costs not to mention knocking seven bells out of our cars on essential journeys! The only viable diversion is in a terrible state and will need extensive repairs, guess how this is funded? And as mentioned in a previous post, the repairs and "improvements" are making the situation worse by narrowing the road to such an extent that cars cannot pass each other and will have to stop and wait around a blind bend! Our biggest gripe though remains the lack of progress and undoing of work already done like laying all the sub-base then digging it back up again to put drains in, then re-lay it, then dig another trench through it to lay some pipe or other! But there is so little done day to day to finish the job, I really have no idea what we can do to impress upon people what a devastating impact these delays are having to so many people's daily lives.

As a resident of Aldwark I would like to thank Stephenson's buses for still providing a service, It may take nearly an extra hour to get home but most of us appreciate it, and for the passengers that moan at the drivers at least they are providing a service. If you want to moan then moan at the council.

Setting it straight wrote:

gjh wrote:
I have been watching "The World's Most Dangerous Roads" on BBC and it has made me realise just how lucky we are in this country to have such a decent road network.

You couldn't be more wrong! We pay road tax to end up with the Anglo-Saxon cart tracks the council claim they are maintaining! Their lack of progress is costing everybody a fortune in increased fuel costs not to mention knocking seven bells out of our cars on essential journeys! The only viable diversion is in a terrible state and will need extensive repairs, guess how this is funded? And as mentioned in a previous post, the repairs and "improvements" are making the situation worse by narrowing the road to such an extent that cars cannot pass each other and will have to stop and wait around a blind bend! Our biggest gripe though remains the lack of progress and undoing of work already done like laying all the sub-base then digging it back up again to put drains in, then re-lay it, then dig another trench through it to lay some pipe or other! But there is so little done day to day to finish the job, I really have no idea what we can do to impress upon people what a devastating impact these delays are having to so many people's daily lives.

There is no such thing as road tax. There is vehicle excise duty but not a tax on roads or a fee to use them. Motorists do not pay directly for the roads, this comes from general taxation. I still maintain that we are lucky to have a decent road network in this country and the freedom to go where we wish on it. Anyway at least the road is being repaired.

gjh wrote:

Setting it straight wrote:

gjh wrote:
I have been watching "The World's Most Dangerous Roads" on BBC and it has made me realise just how lucky we are in this country to have such a decent road network.

You couldn't be more wrong! We pay road tax to end up with the Anglo-Saxon cart tracks the council claim they are maintaining! Their lack of progress is costing everybody a fortune in increased fuel costs not to mention knocking seven bells out of our cars on essential journeys! The only viable diversion is in a terrible state and will need extensive repairs, guess how this is funded? And as mentioned in a previous post, the repairs and "improvements" are making the situation worse by narrowing the road to such an extent that cars cannot pass each other and will have to stop and wait around a blind bend! Our biggest gripe though remains the lack of progress and undoing of work already done like laying all the sub-base then digging it back up again to put drains in, then re-lay it, then dig another trench through it to lay some pipe or other! But there is so little done day to day to finish the job, I really have no idea what we can do to impress upon people what a devastating impact these delays are having to so many people's daily lives.

There is no such thing as road tax. There is vehicle excise duty but not a tax on roads or a fee to use them. Motorists do not pay directly for the roads, this comes from general taxation. I still maintain that we are lucky to have a decent road network in this country and the freedom to go where we wish on it. Anyway at least the road is being repaired.

Yes yes, we'll done with your nit-picking! It must be lovely to not be affected and have your blinkers fitted every time you use the roads. We are not "lucky" to have this network, we pay for it and the standards of maintenance are shocking! We are now expected to outlay and absorb additional cost because of the failure to expedite repairs! That's what the story relates to, why do people feel compelled to make irrelevant comments?