Proper roadworks, but more work needs to be done

Some congratulation needed, Ringway on behalf of the council are resurfacing great slabs of road on Areley Common.

They've headed down towards Dunley Road and so far finished at the area below (shown prior to work) before heading up Hermitage Way.
Now providing the work holds (as the previous work clearly didn't) this is indeed much better then all the patch jobs we've been getting and it's possible that once the pavement work on the bridge is done it might extend into town and beyond. Hopefully getting to the Dunley Road entrance and exit on Areley Common too (top right of photo).

So to that end here's the fun bits; ignoring ones I've already photographed. First off what the hell has happened to the cover close to the exit on Areley Lane? The square cut around it seems to have completely lost its surface, it's like switching from tarmac to gravel and back over a tiny stretch.

Next up the bridge. I've already mentioned and photographed the recessed covers, but let's talk about the dip. Drive out of town and just as the brickwork wall switches to stone - fump, down you lurch to the left. This is the new surface and it's just not acceptable because it has pothole precursor written all over it. Who the hell went over and approved this work?

York Street is still breaking up and starting to form pot-strips just as I predicted; in the same vein the Stour Bridge is beginning to have the same problem with the tearing concentrated more on the town approach (oh and yes the inspection cut is still depressed though seems to be stable).

While there, the exit past OGL that got a bit of patching done while the water board were there (hell they're still there) should have been slabbed at the same time.

Finally Vale Road is still unpleasant. The depressed square in the third lane has been there so long I'm autopiloting around it. The new nastiness is on the way out of High Street; staying in lane 1 is lurchy thanks to a pot-strip and tyre-shreddingly noisy if you try to switch lanes. Of course the joy of any work at this point means an official diversion up to Bewdley Road via Lickhill - not fun and not one any of the locals will take instead vanishing down car-choked Vernon Road.

I could continue with Wilden Lane, etc. but we all know how bad it is along there.

Okay enough about the potholes and on to the pavement work. I've already voiced concerns over what's going to happen when the utility companies dig up this nice fancy paving so I'll pass on that. Instead it's been pointed out to me that a) the work applies to the official pavement and only the official pavement and b) it stops at a clear demarcation line at the top corners.

Now "a" is understandable the owners of the premises are responsible for the point at which the building meets the pavement, likewise there's the Basin Link to consider; but I've been told it causes the work to look half-done. "b" on the other hand is a bit stranger, why stop so short? Rumour has it that instead of re-paving they're going to be painting the pavements. Now this might have some connection to the redevelopment plan and talks of decoration on the Basin Link, but to be blunt the answer is - I don't know. When I get some daylight on the weekend I'll have a closer shuftie.