By Editor Kim Mayo
Roads in Bexhill have received plenty of criticism recently with many motorists claiming their cars have been damaged after hitting deep potholes.
But, plans are now afoot to remedy the problem as swiftly as possible.
East Sussex Highways are working “day and night” to deal with the backlog, but admit that the harsh winter months have made the issue considerably more difficult to deal with and remain on top of.
It is clearly a case of playing catch-up, but the inclement winter weather is certainly hindering progress.
An East Sussex Highways spokesman said: “Like every other highways authority in the country, we see an increase in the number of potholes forming on our road during the winter months.
“The prolonged periods of wet and cold weather that we have experienced recently means potholes that are forming are becoming larger and deeper more quickly than usual.
“To deal with this, we have increased our resources by more than 50 per cent and our teams are working extended hours and at weekends to keep on top of the situation.
“Since December 1, we have repaired in excess of 2,150 potholes across East Sussex.”
This, however, has not appeased motorists, many of whom have reported damage to their cars and tyre blow-outs as a result of hitting a pothole after nightfall, especially as they are barely visible until the moment a driver has actually struck one.
One, who asked not to be named, said: ”You might as well be competing in the Paris-Dakar rally across the Sahara Desert. It is certainly that bad in Cantelupe Road. There are deep potholes along the entire stretch of road and it is not only dangerous but extremely damaging to our cars.”
However, the highways team are urging patience as they attempt to deal with the profusion of new potholes across the Rother district and the rest of East Sussex.
The Highways spokesman added: “Our highways stewards are working tirelessly to monitor the condition of roads across East Sussex,
“But they have more than 2,000 miles of carriageway to inspect and we would urge residents to report any defects they see to us directly to enable us to react as quickly as possible.
“We prioritise the repair of potholes across the county, based, whether reported by members of the public or from routine safety inspections on a number of factors, including the depth, size and location of the pothole and, where these meet our published safety intervention levels for repair, they are repaired within a specified time frame.
“To repair all potholes regardless of whether they are an immediate safety issue or not would require considerably more resources.
“Potholes and other road defects can be reported directly to East Sussex Highways at eastsussexhighways.com where information about when and how we repair potholes can also be found.”
That is all well and good but not much consolation to Bexhill motorists who were left to count the cost of repairing tyres over the course of the traditionally expensive festive period and during the cost of living crisis.
On a personal note, this Bexhill News reporter also found himself on the receiving end of an unexpected bill having suffered a blowout in Cantelupe Road.
Getting the tyre replaced cost £100 which at the time I could ill-afford.
Many have posted on Facebook and via other social media outlets to express their outrage, with particular reference to the appalling state of Cantelupe Road and Ninfield Road.
If you have suffered damage to your vehicle as a result of potholes in Bexhill, please let us know by contacting Bexhill News directly via email (kim@bexhill-news.co.uk) or on social media. We want to hear your views.
Photo: Potholes on Ninfield Road which caused numerous blowouts and suspension damage on New Year’s Eve.
