After the freeze ... the potholes emerge in Ballymena district

AS the temperature rises and roads throughout Ballymena begin to clear following the icy weather, Times readers have reported a surge in the scurge of motorists and pedestrians alike.

Yes, the Pothole season is upon us like never before courtesy of the past three and more weeks of sub-zero temps.

A substantial number of local drivers have contacted us, describing how they’ve suffered from damaged tyres, wheels and suspension following the icy weather.

Among the pothole blackspots reported were - Whitesides Road, Dan’s Road, Toome Road and the main Cushendall line.

Basically put, ice causes potholes by breaking the asphalt apart – water runs into any cracks in a road or path and then expands as freezes, tearing the surface apart.

The ice then melts as the temperature rises above zero in the daytime, before freezing again at night and repeating the “freeze and thaw” process on a daily basis.

One woman who contacted us said: “The problem is made worse by the fact that our roads are dug up so often.

“Trenches created by utility companies cause weaknesses that the ice gets into”.

A spokesperson for DRD Roads Service, confirmed on Thursday the recent prolonged spell of ice and snow has left them with a lot of work to do, stating: “The snow and ice is currently clearing from all roads and we are getting the first opportunity in many weeks to see the surface of many roads.

“The inspection process has just started again in these areas and it will be some time before staff will get around all roads.

“It will only be then that we can ascertain what areas have been affected and the funding required to carry out all the repairs.

“The prolonged and extreme cold spell has led to numerous potholes within the Ballymena Borough as elsewhere, and Roads Service teams are currently repairing these potholes".

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