A ROAD in Amersham with a tricky road surface was criticised by a frustrated driver and cyclists as a “disaster waiting to happen”.
Rectory Hill connects Amersham Old Town and Amersham-On-The-Hill and has a 60mph speed limit.
In front of the Scout Hut, the speed limit drops to 30mph.
Rectory Hill road surface near the railway bridge is dipped down, has a loose manhole cover and uneven road surfacing from previous road works.
A concerned driver and cyclist familiar with the road, Nick O’Brien contacted Bucks Council after seeing the risk the road posed to road users and parked vehicles.
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He said: “It’s a disaster waiting to happen as vehicles are funnelled into the oncoming traffic by the failed road service, broken manhole cover and the oncoming traffic is already forced into the middle of the road due to parked cars under the railway bridge.
“As both a car driver and cyclist I regularly run the gauntlet and chance of being hit by other road users as they fly up behind me as I pull out to use the centre of the road to avoid damage to my car or coming off my bike.”
The utility company who left the road surfacing in its current state “must take responsibility”, Peter Martin, Deputy Cabinet Member for Transport at Buckinghamshire Council said.
He said: “Buckinghamshire Council is aware the reinstatement of the road surface following utility works was not adequate and left the road uneven.
“Council technicians have carried out temporary works to make the area safe, but the utility company must take responsibility for restoring the surface to a safe and useable condition.
While the Council is “currently pursuing this matter with the company”, they refused to name them.
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Mr O’Brien was petrified to negotiate the road, as were many others, he said.
He reported the road to Bucks Council through FixMyStreet platform and over the phone more than 12 months ago, but “absolutely nothing has been done”.
Another report on FixMyStreet in March 2022 said: “This collapsed dip has been there for months.
“Cars become dangerously bottomed out if they hit the hole and its dangerous when they swerve around it."
Another report from January 2022 described the surface as "a ploughed field".
For Mr O’Brien, the situation was made even more frustrating by the way the surrounding areas were tended to.
He said: “No less than 200 metres away, the local authorities have erected and continue to maintain a large model train track with planting around it (at great expense no doubt), whilst not being able to maintain the surface of the road that runs alongside it properly - has the world gone nuts!
“Where are our priorities lying here?”
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