Roadworks

Ettington Road has been resurfaced. It took only two days to do so at a little inconvenience to the residents who had to put their cars somewhere else.

The actual work on the road  was preceded by a letter from the Project Director informing us, ahead of time, of what would happen and what would be expected of us. This is the correct and normal procedure, which should be no reason for surprise.

What was surprising, however, was that the letter of the Project Director was the third letter we had received about the resurfacing of Ettington Road. The first letter was quite some time ago. It announced the roadworks, but they did not happen, at least not on our road. Neighbouring streets were worked on instead. The second announcement made me frown my eyebrows. It did not come from the Project Director, but from one of the councillors of the Aston Ward. My thought was: what the heck does he have to do with the maintenance of our road? Is it not a decision of the whole City Council to award maintenance contracts to applicants? Can it be that this councillor is trying to gain electoral advantage out of a project that is not his own?

If this was the intention of the councillor, it backfired, because nothing happened on the days he had announced. Work only started when the Project Director sent out his notices.

The resurfacing had another twist. A few months ago the worst part of Ettington Road, that at the corner  with Federick and Witton Road, was repaired. It was not just filling in the potholes but it involved taking out the whole corner section and paving it anew. It took a day’s work.  When last week the whole Ettington Road was resurfaced that newly laid portion was taken out again and replaced with fresh asphalt.

Even in times austerity money is still being wasted and government departments do not seem to get their coordination right.

Ton