Readers brand Newton Aycliffe Westmorland Way ‘worst for potholes'

The Northern Echo asked its readers what they felt was the worst road in the North East for potholes which received a huge response.

Although a number of roads were mentioned, it is without a doubt that Westmorland Way in Newton Aycliffe took the majority.

Picture: CHRIS BOOTH (Image: Picture: CHRIS BOOTH)

So we sent a photographer down to get a picture of the road in all its bone-shaking glory.

Pictures show huge dips in the road with patches of tarmac covering some of the bigger potholes.

Read more: Worst roads in the North East for potholes mapped - map yours here

It comes as this year’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey shows worsening carriageway conditions and mounting costs across the North East.

The ALARM survey, published on Tuesday (March 21, 2023) by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), reports that local authority highway teams in the North East only received just over half (55 per cent) of what they needed to stop local roads from further deterioration and approaching £700million is needed to fix the backlog of carriageway repairs in the region.

Picture: CHRIS BOOTH (Image: Picture: CHRIS BOOTH)

The data shows that in the last year, the gap between what local authorities in the North East received and what they said they would have needed to keep roads to their own target conditions and prevent further decline is now £102.0million, an average of £8.5million per authority.

Rick Green, AIA Chair, said: “Highway engineers can only do so much with the resources they are given and should be applauded for the steps they take to keep roads safe.

Picture: CHRIS BOOTH (Image: Picture: CHRIS BOOTH)

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“Potholes and the condition of our local roads remain key issues for the public and the Chancellor went someway to recognising this in his Spring Budget. But a share of the additional £200m one-off payment for local roads in England, while welcome, is just not enough.

Picture: CHRIS BOOTH (Image: Picture: CHRIS BOOTH)

“It represents around 20 per cent of the average shortfall in local authorities’ annual budgets in the North East and will do little to improve overall structural conditions and stem further decline.”

Paul Watson, Durham County Council’s strategic highways manager, said: “We will be resurfacing the full length of Westmorland Way in the coming financial year as part of our annual road maintenance programme.

“We also carry out quarterly inspections of the road surface at this location and alongside this, we respond to any pothole reports received from members of the public.

“Pothole repairs were completed on Westmorland Way last week in response to reports from members of the public, and we followed up with an inspection earlier this week.”