Lismore drivers risk lives to avoid 'monstrous' potholes

LISMORE driver says motorists are risking their lives to avoid dangerous stretch of road.

John Bartlett says a stretch of Kyolge Rd, Lismore is so bad it has cost him thousands in car repairs and drivers are risking their lives to avoid the 'monstrous' potholes. Picture: contributed

WHILE Lismore's pothole saga is nothing new, a local motorist says one stretch of road is so bad it cost him thousands in car repairs and drivers are risking their lives to avoid it.

John Barlett, who regularly drives along Kyogle Rd to get to work in Casino, has warned the 100km section from the Hillside Wreckers to the Nortons Gap turnoff is an "accident waiting to happen".

Mr Bartlett said some of the potholes are "monstrous", range from more than 60cm round to about 25cm.

"Some are deep, some are shallow and when it rains you can't even tell where they are.

"For over a month there's been a sign saying road work in progress, but nothing has been done to the road. There is no progress.

"It has gone beyond a joke, we pay a fortune in regos and speed cameras and end up with the worst roads in Australia."

One section of the road is so badly damaged Mr Bartlett said he and other motorists drive on the other side of the road to avoid it.

"We make sure no other traffic is coming... we just can't drive through that stretch of road," he said

"It's unsafe but what else can we do.

"I recently found a rim damaged on my car and copped a $2041 bill to replace suspension and steering arms on my car from regularly using this road."

Mr Bartlett said he hadn't contacted Lismore City council about the situation because they "wouldn't do anything but send him a computer-generated email".

Local Road Graffiti artist Roa Dart has tried to warn motorists about parts of Kyogle Rd with his pothole art, but Mr Bartlett said it wasn't enough.

"The painting helps the motorists out and Lismore council certainly isn't helping us by filling in the potholes... but the main thing we need to do is to get the roads fixed," he said.

"The roads are like that everywhere... in The Channon, roads from Lismore to Woodburn, Lismore to Nimbin or Jiggi even the streets in Lismore CBD are potholed," he said.

"Coraki Bridge and the small bridge on Kyogle road are also both in an atrocious state and cycle hazards, someone is going to fall off there.

"They need to fix our roads."

The council's Civic Services manager Darren Patch said reconstruction works were due to commence within the next four weeks on this section of Kyogle Road, weather permitting.

"Temporary repairs have been carried out along with the installation of speed reduction signage," Mr Patch said

"Council has three pothole repair crews working on various roads that were damaged during the inclement weather a few weeks ago.

"Motorists are advised to reduce speed and drive to the prevailing conditions.

"While we have every sympathy in circumstances where damage has occurred, it is ultimately the responsibility of every driver to drive according to the road conditions and keep a proper lookout for surface defects, road debris, water, animals and the like."