Opinion : Roadworks in Green Street : Can you spot the workman?

Have you been caught at the temporary traffic lights controlling the roadworks taking place in Green Street?

While you were waiting at the red light did you happen to spot any workmen there?

My good self has passed by these roadworks several times since they commenced and every time the digging equipment was laying idle and there was not a single workman to be seen. In fact the hole in the road associated with these works appears to have remained untouched for several days now.

As can be seen from the sign (pictured below) the road works started on Monday 24th July 2017 and they are scheduled to last for two weeks.

These ‘gas works’ seem to be progressing very slowly, probably due to the fact that nobody is working there.

As can be seen from the pictures below, rather that being used the mechanical excavation equipment is parked by the side of the road with barriers around to protect it.

In fact shortly after taking the pictures yours truly happened to notice some children playing and climbing on the mechanical excavation equipment. I therefore ask myself the question if these are actually roadworks or a new step forward in mobile playground facilities for the local community.

It surprises me that something as dangerous as a gas main (see picture below) could be left uncovered for so long. Indeed the gas main appears to consist of plastic elements which, one assumes, would just melt if they came into contact with a heat source.

In the interests of health and safety surely the hole should be filled in as soon as possible and leaving the gas main unattended and exposed for so long is very risky?

Of course Green Street is a major road for buses heading to to the west of town. The chaos and disruption these unattended roadworks is causing is terrible.

As you can see from the picture below the road works take up half of the carriageway and they’re on a blind bend too.

Not only that but the spoil from the hole has been dumped partially on the pavement causing inconvenience to pedestrians. Surely it could have gone on the road next to the hole?

As the roadworks are on a blind bend means that drivers have no idea if a car coming from the other direction has ‘jumped’ the temporary traffic lights. I fear there have been some very dangerous situations occurring at these roadworks with drivers going when the lights turn green only to come head on with a driver approaching from the other direction who has gone through at red.

Road works are never good at the best of times but surely there needs to be an element of urgency to the actual work taking place rather than digging a hole and leaving it to fester for a couple of weeks so it causes maximum disruption to all those unfortunate enough to pass by?

What do you think?

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