Dig it up and start again

And Lawson Devery, who lives locally, reckons Dumfries and Galloway Council should take the hit and resurface the road at Holmend instead of just carrying out temporary patch repairs.

He said this week: “Only one side of the road is usable. With Moffat being such an old town, there’s very little room for off street parking.

“You only have half of the road, and it has two dustbin lid size holes in it.

“The other problem we’ve got is the timber trucks, when they hit a pothole they never make it any smaller. I drove passed today and what I thought was six inches deep is probably ten.

“The cars parked on the road force you onto the side of the road where the holes are.”

Lawson also mentioned that loose fragments of the road are being kicked up and thrown towards nearby houses by passing cars.

Pointing out the road is the main route through to Selkirk and to Moffat Medical Practice, he added: “Every time someone hits one loose gravel comes out and goes on the doorsteps of the houses.

“It’s more than a country pothole, it’s really something a bit extra and a bit more dangerous.

“I think they dug the road up about two years ago, maybe to put a cable in. It was patched rather than relaid and, like many of the patches these days, within weeks whatever they put in just came out again.”

Having lived in the town for 24 years following his retirement, Lawson cannot remember it ever being as bad.

He said: “We drive into Dumfries every week, I know where most of the potholes are and very few are ever attended to.

“I have not seen anything like it in the last three or four years.

“I would like to see the council fix the road, and fixing it to last.

“Put traffic lights up at each end, close half of the road and fix it.”

Responding, a Dumfries and Galloway Council spokesman said: “Our roads service has reviewed the concerns raised, and the safety-related defects at this location have already been dealt with through our risk-based process. Patching has been carried out to keep the road safe while more substantial work is arranged.

“A short overlay repair has been identified as the appropriate longer-term solution and is now being scheduled.

“While we don’t yet have a confirmed date, it is expected to take place in the near future. This type of repair offers a more durable fix than patching and helps reduce the likelihood of the issue returning.

“The council remains committed to maintaining safe road conditions and will continue to prioritise repairs based on safety and operational need.”