I just spent the last week in North Wales at a place my family visit regularly.
North Wales is a cyclists’ paradise, or it would if not for one thing; the road surfaces on the country B roads are very neglected by the Highways Agency and local councils, and have been for many years.
This has consequently resulted in the abundance of untreated potholes and complete grass patches with new grass-seedlings springing up… it has become farcical.
As I have said, the best thing about this place is the solitude and when the sun is shining, there is nowhere I’d rather be but in the garden with a good book listening to that sound of nothingness!
So it was a bit of a shock that, while I was sitting in the garden last week, the noise of a heavy vehicle started to resonate across the road maybe few hundred yards away.
What could this be? A Highway’s Agency van was tarmacking patches of the badly worn road near our driveway entrance.
It did spoil the afternoon peace and quiet for an hour or so in the garden, but it was welcome noise.
We went on a long walk later around the lanes and soon found that most of the roads in the area had just been repaired in this way.
Fantastic! At last, the dodgy roads that has caused my bike so many punctures and near accidents had been treated.
No more dodging the potholes and rough patches, praying I had not missed any which road cyclists know takes an enormous amount of mental alertness in itself.
The rare pleasure of gliding along smooth road surfaces was back in reach again.
The Highways Agency have clearly been out in force not just near us but all the way into Chester which I passed through on my way home to Liverpool.
Riding through Chester it was also nice to see all the work being undertaken for cycle lanes in the approach to the centre, coming through Saltney.
There is still a long way to go and this maintenance needs to continue on a regular basis, but this is a huge, exciting step in the right direction and one cyclist’s like myself appreciate.
If you have damaged your cycle or become injured due to potholes or through another’s actions, I urge you to speak o myself or another legal expert specialising in cycle accident claims. Phone 0800 093 6313 or share your situation with us by submitting an enquiry form.
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