Potholed street branded ‘Kirklees’ most dangerous’ as cars ‘weave in and out’

Residents have branded a Longwood street “one of the most dangerous” in Kirklees and are calling on the council to act before it’s too late.

Gilead Road is the main road through Longwood, linking the village with areas such as Paddock and back to the M62 junction at Outlane.

The road is said to be a problem area due to its uneven surface and potholes, leaving some to fear there could be an accident. The road taken previously Yorkshire Live’s list of Kirklees’ worst roads for potholes chosen by readers last year.

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One resident said: “It’s not just a pit, it’s the whole road. What’s happening now is cars are going up and on the other side of the road, weaving in and out of potholes. It will be an accident. .

“We’re stuck. There’s one way in and one way out. For the sake of the car’s tires and suspension, I’m taking the long way and it adds about 10 minutes. I’ve driven a lot and it’s really bad. . It’s one of the most dangerous.”

A particularly troublesome area is a patch of road between the Dusty Miller pub and Dodlee Road. The road surface is worn and uneven with some large potholes.

They continued: “Being the main road out of Longwood, it’s awful to negotiate, forcing some people to avoid it and drive the long way. The surface quickly becomes undriveable, with large potholes destroying people’s tires and suspensions.

“It’s no longer possible to drive safely on your side of the road, cars have to go up the road trying to avoid potholes. It really became a safety issue.”

The resident told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that he reported the issue to the council, who said they were “aware” of it but no action was taken at the time.

A Kirklees Council spokesman said: “Kirklees Council has a thorough highways inspection programme, with scheduled safety inspections carried out monthly, three-monthly, six-monthly or 12-monthly by highways asset maintenance technicians.

“Our inspections help identify defects considered a danger to any highway user, with any grade scheduled for repair. We have repair teams working across the Kirklees borough to tackle problem areas and mitigate the impact on users.”

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