Potholes drive motorists mad
POTHOLES are driving Cairns motorists mad - and they are demanding the council road gangs get to work.
The heavy wet season has been blamed for the state of our roads with drivers complaining their cars have been damaged by the constant battering of potholes.
Edmonton motorist Wayne Brown dubbed Thompson Rd the worst. He said the road to the Edmonton Speedway, the motocross track and the boat ramp was "absolutely ridiculous" to negotiate and at last count had 51 potholes.
"People are forced to drive off the side of the road or even on the wrong side of the road to avoid them," Mr Brown said. "They all started out as little holes but now they are outright dangerous."
Mr Brown said he reported the potholes to the council months ago but only one had been fixed.
The road was upgraded late last year but as soon as the wet season rains came, the road surface started washing away.
Since then, the front suspension of Mr Brown’s Ford Falcon has been damaged.
Other roads angering motorists include Anderson St, Trinity Beach; Marino St, Whitfield; Redden St, Portsmith; Mill Rd, Edmonton and Cheviot St, Smithfield.
"Anderson St in Trinity Beach looks like it has been ploughed by a tractor," said Jim Brown, from Trinity Beach.
Mr Brown said motorists were forced on to the wrong side of the road to avoid the "blown up"
section.
Gordonvale residents so fed up with the condition of the area have formed a taskforce to get action from the new council.
One of the issues they will focus on is better roads, including filling in dangerous potholes.
"The roads are shocking and in desperate need of repair," secretary and treasurer Judy-Anne Galway said. "There are a number of areas needing work."
Mayor Val Schier said the condition of the city’s roads had been mentioned several times during her doorknocking campaign, ahead of the March 15 election.
"We have to remember we have just finished a heavy wet season that played havoc with the roads," she said. "Now we are trying to play catch-up."
Cairns Regional Council community relations manager Gary Schofield said potholes were fixed as quickly as possible after the council was aware of them and urged people to report problem roads.
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Hole lot of danger: Jim Brown inspects road damage on Anderson St at Trinity Beach.
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