Ross Turley with the loose stone chips in front of his Villa St property last week. PHOTO/ELI HILL
ELI HILL
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Villa St in Masterton would have been better off left as it was, says long-time resident Ross Turley.
Just before Easter weekend Masterton District Council resealed the road with tar and stone chip – Turley said he’d been looking forward to the repairs but was disappointed with the result.
“It’s already got wheel marks and bumps in it, just days after being finished. The work is not taking to the existing road.
“It’s not just bad for us, it’s a waste of ratepayers’ money because the same problems are already coming back. I pay rates on two properties on this street and we deserve better than this.”
In addition to bumps in the road Turley said loose chips were making things dangerous for both cars and his son.
“The woman next door, she used to park her cars on the road. She came home after the resealing and she found they couldn’t do it anymore because of the loose chip.”
Turley’s son, Reid, who scooters to school said he was hit in the temple by a stone which flicked up from a car as he scootered on the footpath.
“I’ve nearly fallen off twice already.”
A council spokesperson said Villa St was sealed just before Easter and left over the long weekend with loose chip [stones] in place.
“There was a temporary 30kmh speed restriction on the section of road over this period.”
Council contractors swept up the chips last week.
But Turley believed the council should be doing a better job with its maintenance.
“There was no prep work, they just put the tar and stone chips right over top of the existing road. The bumps have already come back.”
Who’s pocket did that line?
I agree they are doing no prep just sealing over top of bump and dips which come back in no time at all. The main road north is just as bad.
This is exactly what is happening everywhere the road is resealed and yet they keep doing it the same way. Why is there no checks in place to stop the same poor quality work being done over and over?