Weather and traffic blamed for ‘highly dangerous’ Edinburgh road surface

Safety concerns have been raised about a ‘highly dangerous’ stretch of road which has deteriorated and left a third of the carriageway unusable.

Kirkgate, which leads south from the A70 at Currie, was previously resurfaced in 2019 but the road has already become badly damaged by vehicle use and inclement weather.

Pentland Hills councillor Susan Webber, Conservatives, says it is ‘blindingly obvious’ the repairs weren’t up to scratch.

Councillor Webber said: “The council have been experimenting with a number of different lower cost options to tackle the years of constant financial neglect to fund the maintenance of our city’s road network.

“This was a ‘retread’ repair that was carried out here. And it is now blindingly obvious that this low cost alternative isn’t up to the job.

“This is now a highly dangerous stretch of road, for everyone using this.

“I couldn’t believe what I saw on the weekend when out walking. It was as if a crevasse had opened up and had filled with icy water. Who knows how deep it is? And this will only get worse still when this current snow melts.

“What we need now is appropriate resources to prioritise the investment needed to bring our road network up to a suitable standard, using appropriate proven methods that we can count on.

Road safety fears: Councillor Susan Webber

“And as ever I find it pertinent to remind everyone, including those from the SNP/Labour minority administration that having good quality road surfaces is good for everyone.

“We will all benefit from this investment no matter what choices we make about how we get around the city”

Retread road surface repairs are often used as a ‘quick fix’ solution by local authorities when damage has to be attended to swiftly, but the process has been criticised for its durability.

An Edinburgh City Council spokesperson said: “While we resurfaced this road in 2019, the has since deteriorated due to water ingress and subsequent wet and freezing weather.

'Crevasse' - the damaged road surface at Kirkgate

“Winter weather of the kind we are experiencing at the moment can have a very destructive impact on road surfaces.

“We will be carrying out repairs to ensure it is safe as soon as possible, weather permitting.”

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