130 potholes found in 2 mile stretch of road used by AWPR lorries

Concerns have been raised over the condition of a road used by AWPR construction traffic.

A number of large, deep potholes have appeared on the route.

The unclassified road, which leads to the Lairhillock Inn off the A90, is used by large, heavy lorries headed back and forth to AWPR sites.

The route, linking the B979 at Netherley and the A90 at Portlethen, is currently being used by AWPR contractors to allow access to the construction site.

It is one of a number of roads used, in agreement with both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils.

More than 130 potholes – including around a dozen large ones – could be seen on the two-mile stretch of road when the Evening Express drove along it.

Residents and businesses living nearby have called for something to be done to fix the route.

Among them is Donald Law, owner of the Lairhillock Inn.

His family has owned the restaurant for the last 11 years, and he said he has never seen the road in the state it is currently in.

Mr Law said: “It is just a disaster. I understand it is from the heavy traffic, but to be honest it is affecting our business now.

People are not going to travel across with the state of the road, especially in the dark of night with people coming back and forth.

The potholes become full of water or it bursts their tyres.”

He added that road closures, along with the state of the road, is not helping the business.

Mr Law said: “People don’t know which roads are open and which roads are not open and if they are left in a bad state of disrepair, then the people are just going to say I’m not going to go that way.

“We were promised that they would be repaired in the next three weeks, but that was two weeks ago. As a family-run business we are constantly on the phone to AWPR and the council asking what is happening.”

Mr Law said he expects the potholes will be filled in, but then “two days later or a week later they will be out again – they need to be properly repaired”.

He said: “The road has been in this state for about the last two years now. Something has to be done about the state of it.”

Margaret Townsend, whose home is just off the road, called the state of the road a “disaster” and the attempts to repair the potholes a “botched job”.

She said: “It is all of the AWPR wagons driving up and down the roads.

“They have left the road in a terrible mess and you cannot even pull aside to let others pass.

“Old roads suffer for the new roads being built.”

Meanwhile, George and Linda Pirie, who have lived in the area for the last 10 years, have complained of the new volume of traffic that passes through on the route.

George said: “Because of the road I have had three tyres and alloy wheels damaged by the potholes.

“There are so many lorries on the road now. All the work in Stonehaven causes tailbacks to Newtonhill and cars have been using this road to cut through.”

Linda added that in her time living in the area she has “never seen the volume of traffic passing through”.

She has repeatedly reported the potholes and road issues on websites such as fixmystreet.com and Aberdeenshire Council’s official website for the last two years.

Linda said: “The last time they did repairs it lasted two weeks or sometimes it doesn’t even last one week.”

Councillor Ian Mollison, who represents the North Kincardine ward, said he had driven along the road and would report the damage.

He said: “There have been various attempts to repair the potholes.

“The road wasn’t designed for such heavy, steady traffic and the verges can’t take the strain of it.

“They just take a battering. When it’s wet and horrible it just gets churned up.

“When the AWPR is finished, the contractors should ensure that the local roads are returned to the state that they were in when they arrived.

“The council has been trying to keep on top of this, but it’s like painting the Forth Bridge – it’s continuous.”

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “As the works progressed, Aberdeen Roads Limited agreed additional routes with the relevant roads authority, as and when required, to transport construction material using heavy goods vehicles.

“It is the responsibility of the relevant local roads authority to manage its own local roads network.

“We understand that Aberdeen Roads Limited and Aberdeenshire Council have agreed arrange-ments to allow it to carry out any repairs to its local roads that have arisen as a consequence of the project.”

An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said the local authority had nothing more to add to the Transport Scotland statement.