Warning – Poor Cycle Track Repairs

By 21 comments

Watch out if you are using the Sustrans route 544 towards Didcot over Hagbourne Hill.

Somebody has tried to repair potholes at either side of the A34 bridge. Unfortunately they have just thrown a load of large loose stones in the hole which means, for cyclists, the repair is just as bad as having a pothole.

Be especially careful if you are coming from Didcot as this is on the downhill stretch and you may be going fast. You can avoid going through the stones but some of the stones are spilling out onto the gap between the potholes.

We don’t know who made these ‘repairs’ it could be the farmer or the builders at the reservoir site. This stretch should not affect the builders as all site traffic should be coming over the hill on the tarmac stretch and not using the track section.

route-544-A34 Bridge.doc

 

 

 

Home › Forums › Warning – Poor Cycle Track Repairs

Viewing 20 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • June 25, 2014 at 7:23 am #2166
      admin
      Member

      Repairs to Sustrans route 544 towards Didcot is worse for cyclists.

      [See the full post at: Warning – Poor Cycle Track Repairs]

    • June 25, 2014 at 7:53 am #2167
      Flatbadger
      Member

      Hello,

      Similar repairs have been done on the private track between East and West Ginge. Potholes filled with loose gravel

    • June 25, 2014 at 7:54 am #2168
      Flatbadger
      Member

      Hello,

      Similar repairs have been done on Route 544 on the track between East and West Ginge. Potholes filled with loose gravel.

    • June 25, 2014 at 8:04 am #2169
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Given the state of this track, could I ask that cyclists at speed give audible warning of overtaking? I was coming off the top of Hagbourne Hill the other day towards the reservoir and not going particularly fast (forgot my helmet) when another cyclist overtook me at great speed with a <12″ clearance. I have no objection to great speed but, given the state of the track and the fact I didn’t know he was coming, I could have swerved to avoid stones or whatever and he would have been off and a right mess. I suspect a bell would have been too much weight for him 🙂 but a shout would have done…

    • June 25, 2014 at 8:35 am #2171
      dimitris
      Member

      Hi,

      Should we report the bad status of the track and the dangers caused by these repairs to the Oxfordshire County Council?

    • June 25, 2014 at 8:52 am #2172
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Well, interestingly, probably not. I thought that section was a BOAT and making it too good would just encourage cars to use it. From the definitive map:

      https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/sites/default/files/folders/documents/environmentandplanning/countryside/definitivemap/defmapPDFs/SU48NE.pdf

      It is marked as a “Road used as a public path” which is now: Restricted Byway (formerly Road Used as Public Path RUPP): A public right of way with recorded rights to walk, ride a horse or bicycle and use a horse drawn carriage.

      Which would indicate it isn’t a road and the county council are unlikely to move it above the 40 year waiting time level in road repairs so there isn’t much point taking that route.

      However, I believe, given concerns about decreased cycle safety on the road to Chilton once the new junction is built (with no feasible cycle safety provision) one could use that as a justification for OCC improving the route over Hagbourne Hill (in addition to the Winnaway as part of the junction scheme. Worth a try…

    • June 25, 2014 at 12:04 pm #2174
      dimitris
      Member

      I have filed a report on the OCC website.

    • July 1, 2014 at 9:08 am #2176
      dimitris
      Member

      Well I just got an e-mail that the problem has been fixed!

      http://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/report/493322

      When I passed this morning around 7:30am the problem was still there.

      Anyone that passed later witnessed any repairs?

    • July 3, 2014 at 6:05 pm #2184
      dimitris
      Member

      Hi,

      More repairs were made today, and they make the route way more dangerous. I have filled a new report at http://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/report/496821

    • July 3, 2014 at 6:12 pm #2186
      dimitris
      Member

      And a video of the route, where you can see also a car using the restricted byway ( I thought this was not permitted?)

    • July 3, 2014 at 6:26 pm #2187
      ville
      Member

      Can’t see the video. Youtube says the video’s ‘private’.

      I agree the path is now worse than it was.

    • July 3, 2014 at 6:43 pm #2188
      dimitris
      Member

      Sorry, I have fixed the permissions.

    • July 4, 2014 at 12:14 pm #2190
      admin
      Member

      Quick Update:
      I have visited Black & Veatch (Thames Water subcontractor) at the reservoir site, this lunchtime.
      The person I spoke to did not know of any repairs being carried out but will asked around. If they did ‘dump the stones’ he agreed to rectify the damage i.e. level, cover with fine grit and roll.
      I tried to catch the farmer but he was out, I will try again on the way home.
      Meanwhile, watch out especially on the downhill, you will need to use the grass verge to get around the stones.

    • July 4, 2014 at 12:32 pm #2192
      dimitris
      Member

      Thank you! Perhaps we could put some signs meanwhile, ‘please do not make any more repairs like this any more’!

    • July 9, 2014 at 11:49 am #2204
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      More dodgy repairs to note (if you weren’t aware already) the track from Chilton to the George and Dragon (Flinty hill?) has had some similar repairs carried out. the aggregate that they have used is verging on builders rubble! at the top of the incline its mainly pot holes that have been filled, but at the bottom there is a section approx 3-4 metre long going t he full width of the track which made my ride home yesturday interesting for a few seconds. Hope this is helpful.

      • July 9, 2014 at 12:23 pm #2206
        TraceyA
        Member

        I like Flinty Hill, very descriptive! The Lynch Way (its real name) is a Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT), and the landowner is responsible for maintenance. In this case, the land is owned by one of the farmers (can’t remember which one, sorry) and I’m afraid their usual method of repairing tracks seems to be to fill potholes with rubble. It means they can still get their tractors up and down it, but it might be less appealing for the travelling community who have a history of parking their caravans towards the top of the track. At least the track is open – in years gone by, the landowner has felled trees across the track to stop the travelling community – imagine coming down the steep bit at speed to find a metre-diameter tree trunk right across the bottom end :-0

    • July 9, 2014 at 12:22 pm #2205
      admin
      Member

      Thanks for the update.
      I have emailed Oxfordshire Countryside Services to see if they are carrying out the repairs or can shed some light on it.
      The email has been copied to Sustrans.

    • July 9, 2014 at 9:53 pm #2208
      rthetford
      Member

      There are some similar repairs on the wide track from the Icknield Way south to Chilton, via the A34 underpass. I presume they’ve been carried out by the farmer. Just before the underpass there’s the remains of what looks like the original heap of stones, along with an older and untouched pile of finer material. The hole-fillings on that section seem to be fairly well consolidated and a mountain bike will cross them with no problem, even at speed.

    • July 10, 2014 at 7:45 am #2209
      admin
      Member

      I managed to catch up with the Hagbourne Hill farmer. It was the farmer who has carried out the ‘repairs’ on the Sustrans route and Lynch Way (and most likely the ones by the A34 underpass as well). He doesn’t seem keen to do any further repairs although he did mention that he thought the Thames Water contractors will be repairing the track as part of their re-instatement works. I will contact the contractors to check that they will be resurfacing this section as well as the rest of the potholes. In the meantime the only thing to suggest is that we make / clear a route through the stones.

    • July 10, 2014 at 8:20 am #2210
      dimitris
      Member

      Thames water contractors had made some repairs few months ago at a small part of the byway close to the pedestrian crossing, which were also of not much better quality: they used a small digger to spread the material on the road, leavng narrow ditches created by the bucket’s footprint. These ditches cover the entire width of the road and are impossible to avoid.

      Anyway meawhile traffic and rain washed away most of the material, and made the ditches smoother.

      We should advice whoever is planning to do repairs they need to be cycling friendly:). I would be glad to help with any temporary workaround meanwhile.

    • July 11, 2014 at 8:47 am #2222
      dimitris
      Member

      Reply from OCC:

      ‘Oxfordshire County Council : We have inspected this problem
      according to our Highways policies and have assessed that no further
      work is currently required. However we will continue to monitor it
      over the next 3 months. Thank you for your report.’

    • October 1, 2014 at 1:56 pm #2326
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      This weeks road closures seem to have made the situation worse – I have noticed a few cars travelling up this way and they seem to have spread the gravel around quite a bit. The clean track though the middle that was appearing seems to have gone again.

      I’ve learnt to travel very slowly down this hill now, but I nearly came-a-cropper on the way up this mooring – I’d say this track is now pretty dangerous for commuter / touring bikes…. In fact I haven’t seen another bike on this track for months.

      If anyone is looking for help in cleaning the track up – I’d also be willing.

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 20 reply threads
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.