Thursday, 31 October 2024

 David HODGETT (Croydon) (17:29): (907) My adjournment is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and the action I seek is for the minister to urgently repair the severe surface damage on the road along Croydon Road, Croydon, which has been caused by the use of heavy vehicles and trucks as part of the level crossing removal works. Minister, you would be aware that the Croydon station has just undergone the removal of the Coolstore Road level crossing. As a result of these works the local streets surrounding the station have been carrying extra loads of heavy vehicles and large trucks, in particular Croydon Road, as these vehicles are parked for hours at a time while waiting to be called to the works area near the station. This has gone on for many months, with some streets having multiple large vehicles parked at all hours of the night and day waiting for their allocated time to unload or reload. These local roads were not designed to accommodate these many large and heavy trucks for these large amounts of time.

Prior to winter this year Croydon Road was in relatively good condition. However, now with increased traffic use by these vehicles and trucks it has been left with extensive damage, with large sections having major undulations and potholes. I am informed that large pieces of bitumen are coming loose causing more dangerous holes. These are not merely surface damage issues; the road base has become damaged as well and the road needs some major repairing. Croydon Road is a busy road that carries large volumes of traffic daily, and this damage is dangerous for drivers, particularly for those who swerve to miss the potholes, which can cause fear and anxiety for oncoming drivers. Minister, I again ask that you urgently repair this road which has been severely impacted by the government’s own Level Crossing Removal Project.