Motorway pothole concerns at Tiverton junction (From Mid Devon Star)

Motorway pothole concerns at Tiverton junction

4:10pm Sunday 8th July 2012 in Mid Devon News

CONCERNS have been raised by motorists over potholes on stretches of the M5 around the Tiverton junction.

The broken tarmac is between junctions 27 and 28, particularly where the sliproad joins the southbound carriageway.

Ross Acton, of Cullompton, who uses the stretch of road regularly, said: “The road is in a pretty bad state and I’ve seen B and C roads in better condition.”

Motorist Simon Bailey said: “I regularly travel around that area and there are some serious potholes causing excessive wear on my car.

“They need repairing before the damage they cause contributes to other accidents.”

But those worries are not likely to be answered this year after the Highways Agency say improvements are in place for the next financial year.

The spokesman added: “Safety is our top priority and we continuously monitor the safety and condition of all our roads and undertake regular surveys to assess the severity of defects.

“This identifies areas of concern where we need to take immediate action and we also devise an appropriate timetable to ensure that safety standards are consistently maintained.

“Unfortunately adverse weather conditions and the weight of heavy goods vehicles can cause deterioration on road surfaces.

“We have carried out a number of immediate interventions to maintain safety on this section of the M5. We are also devising a long-term programme of works for next financial year."