Residents in Shanklin has been left mystified as to why one section of footway (ie. pavement) has been subject to not one, but two, series of resurfacing.
In mid-February the pavement at the junction of Hope Road and Queen’s Road, Shanklin was cordoned off whilst workers on behalf of Island Roads, the Highways PFI contractor, resurfaced the pavements with tarmac.
Shoddy work
Once the resurfacing was complete, the workers packed up and left. However, their below par standard was spotted by an eagle-eyed OnTheWight reader who immediately got in touch with photos of the work.
Photos showed how the tarmac was not flush with the kerbing by at least the height of a penny.
Using planings
Our reader said, “Have just witnessed them shovelling road planings off the back of the lorry.”
(Planings is the name for the old tarmac that is scraped off a road before it’s resurfaced, producing chips with an almost rubber feel)
The same reader later told OnTheWight that he found the loose planings had been laid cold, then covered with only a 1/2 inch of tarmac.
Although this wasn’t reported by him to Island Roads, a month later, the pavement was closed and workers were digging up the pavement again, this time with many more workers than before.
Island Roads respond
OnTheWight got in touch with Island Roads to ask them why the pavement was being resurfaced just a month after it had been laid. An Island Roads spokesperson told OnTheWight,
“We are currently carrying out snagging works and relaying sections of the footway in Queen’s Road as it was found not to have met our standard required in the PFI contract.
“This was because the footway was laid in low temperature during the winter season which is a risk that Island Roads carry. This work is being undertaken at Island Roads’ expense and we do not receive payment until the work is completed to the required standard.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this additional work is causing residents of Queen’s Road.”
Photos
