POTHOLE-pitted roads are in urgent need of attention in Wrexham, road users say.
Both rural roads and those in Wrexham town itself have come in for criticism with claims they are putting both motorists and cyclists at risk.
Ropey roads have been noted county-wide with readers contacting the Leader about pothole problems in their area.
Nik Jones, 19, said: “I’m a motorbike rider living in Ruabon and there are some nasty ones by the new hall which have caused a few near misses with myself and other people I know.”
Melissa Owens, 23, said the road behind Acrefair school was in terrible condition for a main access road.
“I myself have fallen a few times as well as my own child. During this bad weather it is doing damage to cars and is going to cause an accident,” she said.
Gemma Louise Chirgwin said: “The road from Hope to Llay is full of them. Thanks to that road I had a stone chip my windscreen.”
Paul Castley added: “The road by the Greyhound pub in Wrexham is bad, between the traffic calming. It’s usually fixed quickly but requires fixing again in a few weeks."
Alexandria Fairclough, 29, of Brynteg, said: “The extreme changes in temperature, frosts and then sun, have affected road surfaces across the county. Many have very loose tarmac or stone and, of course, potholes. You'd think in this day and age we would have found a road surface that makes it through a whole year.”
Potholes are caused when water gets between cracks in the surface and then freezes and expands. Together with the stress from traffic this causes the surface to break up.
One road is so bad fears have been raised about the risk of a fatal accident.
Sandra Allen, of Llay, was driving when she hit a pothole she described as ‘lethal’ on the A534 east of Wrexham, near the Holt Lodge Hotel.
“You cannot avoid it, it’s absolutely lethal,” she said. “The only way to go over it safely is at about 5mph, which is impossible on a main road like that.
“It’s very worrying for bicycles or motorcycles, especially at night. There is going to be a fatality.
“I just don’t know why they don’t do something about it.”
She said it was the final straw for her exhaust, which was due to have work done on it.
“I know there’s a lack of money and potholes all over the place, but this one is extremely dangerous.”
A report to Wrexham Council on the progress of its highway maintenance contract last year highlighted surface material failure on the road, along with five others.
Community councillor Carrie Harper said she had written to Wrexham Council’s Street Scene department recently highlighting potholes along Cefn Road in Caia Park, also previously highlighted as having problems with surface dressing.
“There are quite a few potholes towards the bottom end there,” she said.
“If we don’t keep on top of it, it could become a real problem, especially with the cold weather.
“I appreciate there is the whole borough to deal with but obviously it does need addressing.”
In more rural areas like Glyn Ceiriog, resident Lisa Overend, 73, said: “The roads really are in a terrible mess now.
“It’s getting really quite dangerous, the potholes are so enormous.”
She said her road, which runs from Pontfadog towards Llangollen, had not been resurfaced properly for at least the 19 years she had lived there.
“The school bus, the post master and the milk lorry all go past here, the road is in constant use.
“They fill in a few holes now and again but as soon as you get a bit of frost or rain, it’s all gone again.
“It’s throwing good money after bad, a complete waste of time.
“If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly, and it’s not being don’t properly.”
Clwyd South AM Ken Skates visited the Ceiriog Valley just before Christmas. “The condition of some roads in the Ceiriog Valley certainly need urgent attention,” he said.
“We need a scheduled programme of works for the area that can bring the most important roads up to a safe standard.
“We may also need to look at the designation of some roads in the area due to them being in exceptionally poor condition and no longer suited for regular vehicular use.
Wrexham Council spent £3.2million on resurfacing carriageways in 2012/13.
Cllr Bob Dutton, lead member for environment, said: “Wrexham Council carries out regular safety inspections on its roads.
"As part of our road maintenance programme, we carry out significant work on detailed inventories and condition assessment of our entire highway infrastructure.
“Resurfacing programmes are prioritised based on the severity of the damage on the road.
"Issues surrounding potholes are reported to us via local councillors and members of the public.
“During the 2012/13 year Wrexham Council will spend over £3million on its maintenance programme to help to maintain the road network in Wrexham.
“Potholes can be reported by calling 01978 298989 or online via www.wrexham.gov.uk.”