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Road rage as barriers fall
Reporter: KEN BENNETT
Date online: 17 March 2010
FURIOUS motorists have lashed out after barriers on a major route to a motorway collapsed.
Sections of plastic fencing, which is protecting work on an electric cable on the outskirts of Denshaw, was brought down in high winds.
The route, a direct link to Junction 22 of the M62, was thrown into chaos when vehicles had to pick their way through parts of barriers strewn into the roadway.
Mary Bradford, of Dobcross, said: “It was like a scene from a crash movie.
“Some barriers had been blown directly in drivers’ paths and had to be cleared out of the way.
“It’s a good job they are made of plastic otherwise they could have caused some real damage.
“Other pieces had been wrecked by vehicles driving over them. It was a complete mess.”
Angry Oldham councillor Alan Roughley, who lives in Denshaw, said: “We seem to be alone in Europe in allowing utility companies to tear up our roads.
“Elsewhere, they lay pipes, drains and conduits beneath verges or pavements and often do the work at night.
“Complaints have been made to Oldham’s emergency call line and immediately passed on to United Utilities which is supervising the work.
“Oldham Council attempts to work with, but has no control over, the utility companies. Many of us think they should, but that needs action by Government.
“You would have thought less flimsy barriers would have been used on a road 1,000ft above sea level and subject to cross winds.
“This is the major diversionary route when the M62 is closed by bad weather or accidents — it happens about once a month.
“We were lucky the wind slackened and the motorway remained open.
“We already have lengths of mangled plastic which cars had to drive over with the road reduced to one narrow lane.
“Things could have been very nasty if there had been a procession of 40-ton trucks ploughing their way through.”
A spokesman for United Utilities said: “These roadworks are to divert an electricity cable.
“Our contractors have used the correct type of barriers and we have asked them to check them daily until the work is completed at the end of next week.”
Comments
So, some idiot drivers see these things in the road & drive over them? Any damage to their cars is their own fault for not taking due care.
Cllr Roughley states that in other countries they lay the pipes in verges or footpaths, if he looks carefully there is only 1 footpath (for pedestrians) so the road is the only option and to mention working at night, would Cllr Roughley work in the dark on this type of road.Cables and pipes need to be laid but the utility companies should work harder at making sure the sites are safe when the teams leave site.Trafic cones would have been suitable to guard the trench(only wating for tarmac)
"Things could have been very nasty if there had been a procession of 40-ton trucks ploughing their way through" as it could be if a giant griffon swooped down and snatched the barriers or if an extra-terrestrial came and melted the plastic barriers but they are just as unlikely to happen too. What a stupid thing to say Roughley. Is there an election coming up?
UU does this not stand for Utterly Useless?
passed through these works atthe weekend and they where disgraceful! working in the construction industry i know that you need to use the right equipment for the job. and given the bleak area these where in the bases for these barriers where substandard! they wouldnt have stayed up if i had sneazed at them! they where the type for a sheltered town or village! not denshaw!
letting utilities companys do what they like leaves us with poor road surfaces that we have everywhere!
I too have been here. The driver in front of me had stopped to move the barriers back but it was so windy that they wouldn't stay up. All these things having been mentioned, why are UU not working all daylight hours to finish the work? There were no workmen there when i drove through.
Furious motorists, angry councillors. Really, if some blown over barriers are all it takes to outrage Saddleworthians then they really should stay away from Oldham!
Get a grip.
Have Your Say
The UU spokesman says they are using correct type of barriers, but shouldnt they be weighed down with sandbags if the winds are as bad as you would expect in such an exposed area.
By johnnye98 @ 17/03/2010 13:38:06