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Diverted HGVs make water leak road 'dangerous'

Clare Worden
BBC News, Norfolk
BBC Ian Clark stands on the pavement on Cromer Road looking at a wet, bumpy patch of road which has been damaged by a water leak. Ian is wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. He has his glasses on his head. BBC
Resident Ian Clark is worried the dip in the Cromer Road will turn into a sink hole

A rise in the number of cars using a diversion route is being blamed for increasing damage to the road surface.

Major road works have been taking place in North Walsham, Norfolk, since January, reorganising how traffic flows through - and into - the town.

Much more traffic has been directed down Cromer Road which has already been damaged by a water leak.

Norfolk County Council said it had a plan to grant Anglian Water the road closure it needed to make the repairs in the coming week.

View of the junction into North Walsham which is covered in orange cones, traffic barriers, temporary traffic lights and diversion signs.
The main routes into and around North Walsham have been closed since January

The roadworks began in January and were expected to be completed by the end of June.

Ian Clark lives close to the Cromer Road in North Walsham and said heavy vehicles, including lorries and diggers, taking diversions had damaged the surface and created a water filled dip in the road.

Mr Clark said he believed leaving the road unrepaired was "just dangerous".

"Anglian Water comes and has a look and puts up a sign saying uneven surface," he said.

"But with the extra traffic coming down this road, because the Norwich Road is closed, the dip is now enormous.

"It's enough to take out the bottom of your car."

View of the dip in Cromer Road showing a blue painted X and a wet patch.
Blue paint indicates the dip in the road, which is continually wet from water rising through the manhole cover

Anglian Water said the cause of the problem was most likely a leaking pipe below the road.

They said they had not yet been granted permission to close Cromer Road to carry out repairs.

Norfolk County Council (NCC) said permission for repairs had not been given because of ongoing work to the traffic lights on the A149.

They said: "We haven't been able to allow them (Anglian Water) in to repair as the diversion route that would be needed is already closed due to the traffic light upgrades.

"If we had let them come in to (do the) repair, North Walsham would be at a standstill."

NCC confirmed that at soon as the work to the A149 was completed, expected by 23 June, the repair to Cromer Road would be carried out.

Previously concerns have been raised about complicated diversion routes, leading drivers to use rat-runs down residential streets.

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