A "DANGEROUS" road in Alveston which has been wearing away for years has become too much of a safety hazard to be ignored by highways bosses, residents have claimed.
With scores of cracks, bits of broken tarmac and holes strewing Wolfridge Ride, people living on the street have hit out at the local authority for seemingly, they said, ignoring their pleas to fix the "worst road in Alveston".
And the situation, they added, is putting cyclists at risk as they are forced to swerve around the dips making themselves more vulnerable to accidents.
David Morgan, who lives on the corner of West View and Wolfridge Ride, cycles regularly on the road. He said he had called South Gloucestershire Council’s street care department last year and been told that the street would be attended to at the start of 2012.
"But they have not done anything," he said. "And I don’t think it’s in their plans for the rest of the year. It’s dangerous.
"Cyclists can avoid potholes and go around them but it puts them in the path of traffic. It’s also dangerous for cars. It’s a real safety issue."
And recent developments on Wolfridge Ride have puzzled householders as well as their parish leaders.
Last month, council bosses sent out a team to the street, but far from taking care of the road, Mr Morgan explained, the workers resurfaced the pavements, which no-one had complaints about.
Cllr Brian Lee said he was mystified by the district council's move.
"We are not sure whether they made a mistake or not but it surprised us," he said.
"What really needed doing was the road. It’s fair to say it’s the worst road in Alveston."
Parish Cllr Bernard Willcox walked along Wolfridge Ride on January 16 and counted all the cracks, detached chunks of tarmac and holes. He told the Gazette the street was wearing away.
"I counted 60 potholes," he said. "There are a lot of older people living on the road and cyclists. People are asking 'Why ignore the road and do the pavement which nobody had complained about?'"
A South Gloucestershire Council spokesman said Wolfridge Ride was part of the authority's planned work for 2012 and would be attended to in time.
Regarding the pavements, he said: "Wolfridge Ride was recently inspected as part of the Street Care team’s routine maintenance programme. The footways received an early preventative treatment that seals cracks from water ingress and helps prevent future deterioration in the pavement."
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