Drivers delighted by smooth roundabout as potholes are fixed
Drivers are rejoicing today as a pothole-plagued roundabout has finally been resurfaced.
Five Ways Island in Heath Hayes, Cannock Chase, got so bad that nearly 40 reports of potholes had been made to Staffordshire County Council, which is responsible for roads across the county.
But after two weeks of work and a £220,000 investment, the roundabout has been given a face-lift and is, for the moment, pothole free.
Heath Hayes councillor Colin Lea said: "It is miles better now, there is a vast improvement in my opinion. I do not know what the feedback is from other people but it was work that needed doing.
"The only thing now is how long will it be before lorries rip it up again?
"It is a heavy traffic area. Lets hope it will do a little bit better now the work is done. It has been overdue for a long time.
"It would have caused a fair amount of disruption for drivers while work was going on because of the amount of traffic that normally goes through. But at the end of the day we have got to have the disruption in order to do the work. I wish there was a way of doing the work without the disruption but no one has found a solution to that yet."
Potholes have been a long-running sore for people living in Cannock Chase, with deputy leader of the district council Gordon Alcott previously claiming there was a pothole 'on every road on Cannock Chase'.
Councillor Lea said of the potholes: "It is a problem all over Cannock Chase and not just in Heath Hayes. There was Hilltop at Hednesford that they have just done but apparently there is water leak now. Then there is Belt Road in Hednesford as well, that has spent more time this year up than it has down.
"I think the county council want to get their act together with some of the utility companies to stop the roads constantly being dug up.
Staffordshire County Council began work on the roundabout on August 14, with the main resurfacing work being done over six nights to minimise disruption.
Work includeimprovingng the road surface and replacing kerbs. It forms part of a £35million investment in road and transport schemes in the county, to improve road safety and give families better access to cycle routes and train stations.
Staffordshire County Council’s support member for highways Helen Fisher said: “Engineers worked through the night to ensure the resurfacing was completed with the minimum of disruption. Managing traffic at such a busy junction is always tricky, but by putting in temporary road closures between the hours of 7.30pm and 6am, it ensured we could get the job done without affecting traffic flow too much.
“The result is new kerbs and ironworks and, most importantly, a much smoother road surface that will benefit the thousands of motorists who use this junction every day.”
