Giant pothole in Inverness must be fixed as a priority
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A giant pothole which appeared in a busy Inverness road this week is a sign of chronic underinvestment, it has been claimed.
The large crater in Oldtown Road, Hilton, was spotted by shocked motorists who placed a warning at the site on Tuesday night to warn other drivers.
The road was closed and Inverness Ness-side councillor Ron MacWilliam said he had asked for repairs to be prioritised, to minimise the inconvenience for residents.
"I have asked council officers to prioritise this job as the closure of this section of Oldtown Road will be quite an inconvenience for Hilton residents. "Unfortunately it does looks like quite an undertaking to fix as much of road appears to have sunk underneath what’s left of the surface.
"These events are becoming ever more frequent partly as a result of bad weather but also due to low budget allocations for maintenance.
"For many years now Highland Council has been in the business of decline-management when it comes to roads, particularly in Inverness, and I continue to call on this council administration to negotiate a fairer allocation for the city. "
He added: "Our road infrastructure has already been tested to the limit and needs urgent investment."
Reece Strang, from Hilton, who first highlighted the pothole said: "It looks like a sinkhole."
A Highland Council spokesman said: “Highland Council, Roads Service has continued to deliver front line services throughout the Covid–19 restrictions. "Our focus has been urgent road defects and winter maintenance and remains so.
"Where resources and restrictions have permitted we have undertaken routine maintenance works.
"Please see our factsheet on potholes https://www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/file/20457/pothole_factsheet.”
Read more about Ron MacWilliam.
