Stonehouse resident’s worries over damaged roads

Feb 4 2010 by Sandra Walls, Hamilton Advertiser

A STONEHOUSE man is urging South Lanarkshire roads department to repair hazardous road damage caused by recent ice and snow.

Fred McDermid, of Boghall Street, contacted the Advertiser to complain that many structures and roads in Stonehouse are dangerous.

He said: “I realise that the roads department of the council must be suffering as the result of the severe winter weather. However, I would like to make a special plea for Stonehouse as the roads here have been very badly affected and require urgent repairs.

“The worst areas are The Linthaugh Bridge over the river Avon where there seems to be movement in the parapet walls. This should be examined urgently to determine how to prevent it from collapsing, which would be disastrous and dangerous to any drivers or pedestrians who may be on the structure.”

He was also concerned about the bottom of Glenburn Avenue and various areas of Sidehead Road.

Mr McDermid added: “While the main road at the hospital appears to be in fair condition, the inner road in front of the houses running parallel to the main road is urgently in need of surfacing.

“The junction of Camnethan Street, Angle Street and Boghall Lane also needs immediate attention.

“I realise that the council will be inundated with road issues, repairs and complaints from all over the county but I wanted to make sure that Stonehouse was not forgotten, which has been the case in similar circumstances in the past. I look forward to seeing repair squads making roads fit for purpose soon.”

A spokesman for South Lanarkshire Council said: “The conditions we have experienced means roads and footways ‘heave’ – the surfacing lifts, often cracking, as a result of water in the subsoil below freezing and expanding.

“We are sending teams out to assess the damage in all areas and when they come across a pothole they will carry out the necessary repairs to make it safe.

“The vast majority of our roads workforce are dealing with potholes as the weather conditions have now improved. However, we welcome feedback from the public who should call 0800 242 024 to report any potholes.

“Regarding the current condition of the Linthaugh Bridge, a small gap has opened up between the parapet and the road surface due to frost heave that has occurred during the recent extreme cold. This is entirely due to movement within the road surface and not as a result of the parapet moving.”

To ensure that all bridges on the road network are safe, the council have an inspection regime where every bridge is inspected every two years.

The spokesman added: “Any significant defects identified during these inspections will be included for repair in the Bridges Annual Maintenance Contract.

“Linthaugh Bridge was last routinely inspected on July 14, 2008 where accident damage to the parapet was identified and repaired.”

The next routine inspection is this summer.