Race on to fix dangerous potholes before sportive
A RACE is on to fill in some of the district’s most dangerous potholes before hundreds of competitive cyclists take to the roads for April’s Oban Sportive.
Organisers of the Sportive event, on Sunday April 22, have handed over a list of hundreds of potholes that need Argyll and Bute Council’s urgent attention - and there’s more to come.
The list, given to Councillor Roddy McCuish, only covered potholes on the Sportive’s short route but in the next few days organisers will be out checking the longer route before handing in a bigger list.
Oban Sportive’s Nick Charlton, who also represents North Argyll Cycle Club, said: ‘I doubt they can re-surface the whole lot but there are some really dangerous sections, particularly between Kilchrenan and Taynuilt.
‘We’re expecting about 200 cyclists to take part in April. It’s important the roads are made safe, not just for the Sportive but for all the other cyclists throughout the year who visit.’ The way is part of Sustrans Route 78 on the national cycle network. The Sportive’s 56-mile shorter route takes in the back roads from Oban through Kilmelford, Kilchrenan and Taynuilt before returning to Oban while the 87mile course is around Scotland’s longest loch - Loch Awe - and passes under the shadow of Ben Cruachan.
‘Anything the council can do to help will be great. We are not criticising them, we know resources are limited but we’re just hoping they will make it a priority to fix the worst of them.’
Councillor McCuish said: ‘I’m glad they have contacted us. We will do as much as we can in the amount of time we have to make the roads as safe as we can.
‘We are 100 per cent supportive of the event. It brings a lot of people into the area as well as big name Mark Beaumont who made the Wild About Argyll video for us.
‘I’ve already handed over the list of potholes to Jim Smith who is head of roads and amenities and I’ve heard back from him saying they will look at it as soon as they can in the next week or so.’
The issue of potholes was also raised at the last Taynuilt Community Council meeting after Sportive organisers sent in a letter, expressing concerns.
Councillor Elaine Robertson said some of the potholes could be ‘dangerous’ to cyclists but gave reassurance the plan was for the council to do what it could in the time it had.
‘It won’t be perfect and they won’t have time to do major work but they will have time to make it safer. The roads are such a mess,’ she said.