Pothole damages dozens of cars on busy Harrogate district road

Dozens of cars were damaged today and several had to be towed away after a large pothole opened up on one of the main roads into Harrogate.

Drivers travelling towards Harrogate on the A658 at Huby felt the brunt of the impact at rush.

The hole was eventually coned off and traffic lights installed but not before numerous vehicles had been damaged.

David Barker, who lives in Huby, said:

“At the peak of the morning rush hour, 12 cars had stopped at Huby Banks and I’m told three more stopped at the T junction and a couple more before the village.

“The AA have been to at least three cars and the Harrogate local recovery company have taken another three away.

“As the traffic built up in the rush hour cars could not see the hole or avoid it. They were all coming from Pool towards Harrogate.”

Mr Barker tried to report the incident but was batted back and forth between North Yorkshire County Council, which is the highways authority, and the police non-emergency number.

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He said several drivers changed wheels before continuing their journeys.

He added:

“The road has in the past ‘blown up’ in this area due to a drainage problem and water is often seen running down the road.

“Much of the problem is many modern cars do not have a spare wheel so if the tyre has come off the rim due to rapid deflation the blow-up repair kit does not work.”

The Stray Ferret has approached the county council for comment.

 

New pothole machine could be coming to Harrogate district roads

A machine that can repair potholes and other road damage in minutes could be coming to the Harrogate district.

Highways engineers are trialing the JCB Pothole Pro, which is said to be able to repair a typical pothole more quickly than conventional methods.

The machine has different heads, which can plane off areas of road surface, chop out sections of carriageway and clear up debris when the repair is complete, providing options to deal with different types of repairs.

Because the processes are automated the risk of health problems caused by hand / arm vibration from using power tools is eliminated.

NYHighways, which is the arm’s-length company responsible for maintaining roads on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council, is evaluating the machine in the Hambleton district.

The Stray Ferret asked how much the machines cost, how many the council was thinking of buying and when it would make a decision.

A council spokesman said it had nothing further to add. However, the machines have been widely reported to cost £165,000 each.

Carl Les and JCB pro

Council leader Carl Les (left) watches the machine in operation.

Keane Duncan, the Conservative councillor for Norton who is also the executive member for highways, said in a statement:

“We are putting this machine to the test so we can evaluate how it works in real-world conditions and a decision will be made later on whether NYHighways should add it to their fleet.

“Whatever the outcome, road users can be confident we are always aiming to provide them with the best service possible.”

Ross Bullerwell, managing director of NYHighways, said in a statement:

“The JCB Pothole Pro system is just one innovation we are trialling, with many more planned over the next year in order to find solutions that are the right place, right time, and right price for the county’s roads.”

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