Road Resurfacing

Secteur

Brilliant, I thought, when my local pot-holed road suddenly had signs all over saying "resurfacing here from [date] to [date]".

The next day, I note that they had coated the entire road with a thick, loose layer of tiny shale / stones - in some places it was so thick it was like sand.

I assumed this was some sort of "base layer" for the new surface.

Seems not - that IS the new surface.

Despite the "20mph" signs, cars were carrying on at 40mph+ (it's a country road) and spraying shale everywhere, pinging painfully off my legs. Also, nearly skidded off several times as it was like cycling on loose ... shale!

Anyway, a week later, all the signs have gone and the road is still covered in piles of loose shale making sangerous driving.

How the hell can this be considered "resurfacing"???????

Quite unbelievable - the road is more like a track than a tarmac road!!

wishitwasallflat

As I understand it it's cost saving - over time the traffic will embed the chippings in the road and the surface will be better. Saves the council putting a road roller over it when it's laid and they don't have to pay for the repairs to the bottom of cars (or to our BBs come to think of it!)

suzyb

I wonder if you could claim compensation from the council if you skidded and fell off. That kind of surface was used on a road near me and it looked deadly for any two wheelers. Surely councils have to make a safe road surface.

rdt

Surface Dressing:-
http://www.highwaysmaintenance.com/sdpics.htm


And on the legalities of compo claims for cyclists:-
http://cycling.access-legal.co.uk/2011/ ... lists.html

velocestrapture

Great stuff, isn't it. Don't you just love it when you get a bit embedded in your tyre and then have to spend a few miles listening to 'tick, tick, tick, tick' until it. Falls out or you stop and pick it out.

I had to spend a week at my parents' house in rural Norfolk at the beginning of Aug, and was looking forward to doing some nice long rides on country lanes, only to find that the roads I about a 20 mile radius had been resurfaced with those chips.

Secteur

I felt my wheels skidding and sliding from under me the first time I went up it, but thankfully was able to keep control. Each subsequent time I have just ridden up it very slowly.

I can state with confidence (as I ride it daily), this road has NOT been swept as it should have been. There are still large piles of inch deep shale along the area where a cyclist would typically be, meaning that I now just have to ride more-or-less in the middle of the lane. The cars will just have to wait!

danowat

Secteur wrote:

I felt my wheels skidding and sliding from under me the first time I went up it, but thankfully was able to keep control. Each subsequent time I have just ridden up it very slowly.

Oh come on, thats a bit over dramatic!!!!

The HA have chipped a tons of roads in Norfolk over the summer, I've even time trialled on some of them........

Omar Little

Its a pain in the arse

Even if the road surface eventually gets flattened out by all the cars going on it there will still be loose chippings that gather at corners etc which makes it pretty dangerous for those on two wheels

MountainMonster

I love Austria, where councils don't skimp on everything just to save a buck. Lovely smooth freshly (properly) resurfaced roads here.

t5nel

The problem is compounded as a cyclist as the edge of the lane (first metre) gets nothing like the level of traffic and, in my experience, never gets flattened. There are roads near where I live that have been surfaced for months or years and the edge of the carriageway is still horribly bumpy :-(

I hate the extra road buzz this area gives and it makes the going significantly slower. There must be quite a correlation between road smoothness and the speed at which you can get along on a road bike!

Secteur

danowat wrote:

Secteur wrote:

I felt my wheels skidding and sliding from under me the first time I went up it, but thankfully was able to keep control. Each subsequent time I have just ridden up it very slowly.

Oh come on, thats a bit over dramatic!!!!

The HA have chipped a tons of roads in Norfolk over the summer, I've even time trialled on some of them........

Honestly!! I had a skid/wobble as I was cycling along quite normally on a straight section which made my heart jump as I thought I was coming off!

noiseboyfeetman

They did surface dressing on a road I use when I commute into work, the days I didn't commute by bike and I drove I purposefully drove right in the gutter, I think the other road users thought i'd had a bit to drink! A few months down the line and the road is actually a nice surface, far better than it was.

nferrar

I like the way you get piles of the stuff building up on the apex of bends (the apex for cyclists anyway), makes for some 'interesting' moments. I hate the practice though, just cutting corners at the risk to road users (especially cyclists) - not that it's necessarily the council's or HA's fault - I'm sure if they had the money they'd do a decent job...

fossyant

The local council have just done the same near me, but left the worse section alone - they've sprayed these chippings over what was a good surface.

RoadyForever

fossyant wrote:

The local council have just done the same near me, but left the worse section alone - they've sprayed these chippings over what was a good surface.

Yeah, there seems to be no method to their madness. One good thing though, where they dressed a hill of a popular Sustans route. The bikes have stripped a path through it (there was hardly any traction on it 3 weeks ago), so I think we scored a goal there!

One bad thing though, my brand new bike that I have had just over two weeks. Now has a chain covered in those abrasive chippings! Is the council going to pay for all the degreaser and lube I am going to get though?

coman1985

i dont know if this is where a little roller comes along with what looks like a giant bit of double sided tape then they spray the stones on that but they did that on some bends in norfolk two years ago and they are just knackered again and need repairing in places you can see how its thinned rite down to the old road surface

unixnerd

The one positive about that sort of dressing is that for a few years it gives a very slip-resistant surface in the winter. They did a few roads up here that way, I'm a good 1-2mph slower on them.

But on the other hand, the compound they've been using on the resurfaced sections of the A9 (where I'd never cycle as it's too busy) is waaaay too smooth. It's lethal in the wet, wonderful choice for a road that climbs to 1500 feet and is covered in ice for months at a time. A mate who helps lay it says it's very hard wearing so it saves money.

nickyhoward55

A major road on my 40 mile route was freshly done the other day. I rode in the tracks made by cars for approx 2 miles (at 20ish mph) holding up all the traffic as i went. I dont see why i should fall on my ass becasue they cant sweep the road.

morstar

I live not a million miles away from secteur and they do seem to have had a major blitz with surface dressing in the last 3-4 weeks.
In fairness to the local authority our local roads, whilst far from great, do seem to get much better care than in other nearby authorities. If I ride south into Cheshire the roads are terrible and where I work in Blackpool the roads are diabolical.
However, I do have to laugh, the main road that my street joins has just had about 400yds properly resurfaced. It is lovely surface but literally 10-15yds before the new stretch there is a huge sunken patch of tarmac that is rapidly growing. Seems beyond me how it got missed.

Zoomer37

This is just awful news. Sector please keep us up to date about the condition on that road and stay safe.

markos1963

Secteur wrote:

danowat wrote:

Secteur wrote:

I felt my wheels skidding and sliding from under me the first time I went up it, but thankfully was able to keep control. Each subsequent time I have just ridden up it very slowly.

Oh come on, thats a bit over dramatic!!!!

The HA have chipped a tons of roads in Norfolk over the summer, I've even time trialled on some of them........

Honestly!! I had a skid/wobble as I was cycling along quite normally on a straight section which made my heart jump as I thought I was coming off!

I can confirm Norfolk resurfaces most of its back roads(and some main ones) with tar and chippings. You just get used to it otherwise you'll never go riding. Makes you a better rider I reckon, giving you better bike control in poor weather.
Danowat probably only mangaed a short 23' when he rode on it.

danowat

markos1963 wrote:

Secteur wrote:

danowat wrote:

Secteur wrote:

I felt my wheels skidding and sliding from under me the first time I went up it, but thankfully was able to keep control. Each subsequent time I have just ridden up it very slowly.

Oh come on, thats a bit over dramatic!!!!

The HA have chipped a tons of roads in Norfolk over the summer, I've even time trialled on some of them........

Honestly!! I had a skid/wobble as I was cycling along quite normally on a straight section which made my heart jump as I thought I was coming off!

I can confirm Norfolk resurfaces most of its back roads(and some main ones) with tar and chippings. You just get used to it otherwise you'll never go riding. Makes you a better rider I reckon, giving you better bike control in poor weather.
Danowat probably only mangaed a short 23' when he rode on it.

Long 22

Pross

It always amazes me that people have apparently never seen surface dressing used before. It's been common practice all my life. It isn't a cost cutting measure, it's a way of prolonging the life of an existing road surface. Of course, it may be that it isn't being done properly as they should repair potholes first and there should be two sweeps 1 shortly after laying to remove excess stone and a second a week or so later to rrmove anything that has come loose. I'm sure everyone complaining about it will be happy for an increase in their Council Tax so that all roads can be completely resurfaced every 10 years or so?

potters1863

Pross wrote:

It always amazes me that people have apparently never seen surface dressing used before. It's been common practice all my life. It isn't a cost cutting measure, it's a way of prolonging the life of an existing road surface. Of course, it may be that it isn't being done properly as they should repair potholes first and there should be two sweeps 1 shortly after laying to remove excess stone and a second a week or so later to rrmove anything that has come loose. I'm sure everyone complaining about it will be happy for an increase in their Council Tax so that all roads can be completely resurfaced every 10 years or so?

All the roads in the country should be of a good standard. This is because the money raised from the motorist via fuel, road tax, vat etc is about 5 x the actual amount spent on the roads. Germany raises less and spends more on their roads. We just have the ratio wrong in this country.

My local roads are crap, thanks Cheshire East.

Pross

OK so use all the money raised by roaf related taxes to pay for roads and then either pay a huge amount in new taxes or settle for much lower standards of health, education etc. and also put up with motorists having a valid claim that they pay for the roadd.

suzyb

I'd settle for a lower standard of education

Pross

It's alteady bad enough judging by my spelling above

suzyb

It's not bad spelling it's lazy typing

Pross

It's actually fat fingers and small keys on my phone (or at least that's my excuse :oops: ).

bompington

I think spelling checkers are to blame. They can kiss my errs.

smurfylicious

suzyb wrote:

I wonder if you could claim compensation from the council

It's probably quite possible to do that. Years ago a friend of mine hit a pothole full of chippings that the council or it's contractors hadn't bothered to fill prior to their 'resurfacing' operation. The council never admitted liability, but they did hand over some money for his gravel-rashed arm and damaged bike.

To the original poster, I'd make a complaint, tell the Council that now you've warned them about the dangerous state of the road for cyclists, if you fall off because they didn't act on your complaint they will be a sitting-duck for a claim (but word it very nicely and politely of course!)