Avenue resurfacing work to take over four months
Saturday 19th September 2009, 2:59PM BST.
The first phase of the roadworks at Bel Royal.
MOTORISTS face disruption throughout the winter with major resurfacing work being carried out on Victoria Avenue.
The road used by 30,000 vehicles a day will be reduced to one lane in each direction from 9.30 am until 3.30 each day.
It will also be closed to eastbound traffic from 7.30 pm until 2 am. However, it will be open as normal during the morning and evening rush hours and at weekends.
The £2.3 million project is the second of a three-phase scheme to replace road, drains and lights and is being financed from the economic stimulus package.
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I can think of at least half a dozen roads in this Island more in need of repair than the esplanade, but hey, with scaffolding and roadworks now a year round occurance anything the States can do to upset the motorist is obviously fair game!!!
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It will take them how long! 4 months! One has to ask why, and why so much money. In this time they would have resurfaced the whole of the M25 and proberly for less!
I do hope the ‘economic stimulus department’ had quotes from outside the island and not just from the operators within Jersey?
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When roads need resurfaced there are bound to be delays. People complain about anything at all these days. It is wonderful to see roads being maintained. If only they would resurface all the roads on the island including the patchy workmanship leftover in Green Street since the relaying of the sewage pipes. It is a disgrace.
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But..um.. there’s nothing wrong the road! The States are stimulating me to want to go round their chambers and tell them politely that they are a bunch of idiots. Two point three million times.
..and PJ No.2 seems to not quite of grasped the point that an economic stimulus package.
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The economic stimulus package that to be spend in only a certain industry?
Or it can be spend in getting more hospital workers, etc too?
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I haven’t noticed any severe degradation of the road surface on this stretch of Victoria Avenue. Jobs for the boys, I say. Yet no one in Public Services has sought to repair last years March 22nd storm damage on the Millbrook stream outfall.Have a look over the sea wall and see for yourself the unrepaired damage to the granite “box” at the sea wall hub with its iron trapdoor.Repairs would be simple if action is taken now, but it seems that simple and vital repairs are being ignored, in favour of greater projects, which add to our forecasted £50 million annual deficit.
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Yet another example of capital projects being financed through this “economic stimulus” excuse. Basically anything the States Departments want done but couldn’t get the budget for are being funded in this manner. This is a complete farce and not creating any new jobs.
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Mogit – do you ever feel you might be slightly paranoid about the States?
PJ – If the States completed the re-surfacing between 3 and 4am on a Monday morning for £1 I reckon you would find fault. On what basis do you ascertain that £2.3 million is too much and four months is too long?? What factual research have you undertaken to support your argument other than to read this article??
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Can somebody tell the States that a big money-saver is on its way!
A Sunderland based company that designs “COST-EFFECTIVE” road repair solutions is developing a low-noise device that not only speeds up road repairs but also reduces the power required to propel the road-repair mix into the cracks and holes.
The technique used is much faster than traditional road repair methods and significantly reduces traffic disruption and carbon emissions.
Unlike conventional methods, this patching technique allows the road to be used in minutes…good eh!
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For thouse of you who think this work is unnecessary, are we talking about the same road !
The Eastbound carridgeway surface between La Motte Ford and First Tower is on the verge of breaking up ! There are yellow marks indicating cracks all over the place !
This work is really essential !
PS I drive a road car, not one of thouse off road 4 x 4 models !
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I agree with Warren that there are bits that need done, but (and, I assume it’s the same for PJ, my ‘factual research’ is based on years of seeing other roads resurfaced in the UK) 4 months does seem rather long! This length of resurfacing back home was done over two weekends with minimal disruption.
I’m just pondering, given the one-way system around our bit, how we’ll get anywhere, at some point you are always forced onto the Avenue.
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Perhaps once Victoria Avenue has been given a makeover, the States could turn their hand to La Route de Forte and areas around St Clement/St Saviour. It is not the first time that the underside of my car has been scratched and distorted due to the poor quality of the roads.
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I’m pleased I don’t live out west, the normal nightmare commute just got much worse, I would suggest if you do live in St. Brelade that you take a sleeping bag to work.
As for it taking 4 months, you have to factor in the normal states practice of 1 bloke working and 6 looking on, for health and safety reasons no doubt.
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right as a motorcyclist (the ones most at risk when road surfaces aren’t maintained) i find nothing that dangerous with the road – as comments earlier have said how about the main roads in trinity or st john? How about re surfacing drain covers or at least putting paint on them so they are clearly visable? The states say there is no money to paint each drain cover on the island – yet they can repair a road for this price when it was only done a couple of years ago???
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3)Ann – it’s wonderful to see roads being maintained – Sorry where do you live???
8)TB – Yes possibly but it does provoke comments as you have obviously noticed-good for a laugh!!!
besides, you cannot really think the States are efficient – can you???
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15) Mogit – The States do some things well and others badly, a bit like most large organizations. My point is that if you’re going to slate them, fine, but do it with reasoned and researched arguments. Most people who criticise them on this site usually just read the article, which in itslef is often ill-researched, and then make sweeping comments with no basis.
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TB I take it you work in the States?
Aside from the lack of research carried out… the contempt shown towards the States, that is displayed daily on this site, must surely stand as statement in itself. The people are fed up of this feudal system, disguised as democracy.
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Mogit – I am commenting as a rates and tax payer who is entitled to know what money is being spent and where. If roads are being improved that is good. Health and Safety is normally the main priority of any States Department.
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BornWarrior…why cant we have someone like you working in the states??? Atleast you know of the latest deals to help a situation rather than messing about for 4 months and taking way longer than necessary to do something!!
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2.3 Million…? how realistic is that I wonder given that the De Faye folly at Bel Royal was £1.26 Mill.for a very short corner….it seems now the entire Avenue can be done for less than double…either it will run hideously over budget…or Guy should be giving us all a refund what d’you reckon………?
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Perhaps a priority should be to sort out the extremely dangerous exit from the hamburger place at Bel Royal for vehicles turning East onto the Avenue where they are left blocking the West Lane whilst they wait to turn right.This never happened with the old lay out. Again another complete fiasco by TTS and an utter waste of tax payers money.
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Wake Up 17) – Agreed, the States does seem to be lacking in some quality politicians. But then why don’t the public vote them out?? If there were THAT many people who are fed up it should be quite easy. However I suspect that in truth people are too lazy/apathetic to do anything about it. Far easier to blame someone else. Either that or maybe Joe Le Public is, in the main, happy with their politicians??
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Economic Stimulus?
How about improving the bus service and subsidising bus fares or introducing another form of public transport? Trams? Mini train? Monorail?
I for one would love to leave my car at home and save on extortionate parking fees (+GST) and petrol, insurance etc.
Then you may get far less than 30,000 cars on that stretch of road, resulting in less maintenance needed and saving some money too….no brainer!!
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Questions everyone is asking are why so expensive and why so long, Jersey seems to be the only place where building and road works seem to take three to four times longer than anywhere else, I have a funny feeling it because of the good old one works whilst the other twenty watch on! Also charge the farmers and four ton truck drivers and pipe layers and cable fitters, There the ones that ruin the roads over here, if the people fitting the cables and pipes could retarmac the roads properly we wouldn’t need so much repair, all you have to do is take a drive down st Johns main road, Two months after it was resurfaced it was being dug up by the old B and q site, Its been terrible ever since, you will notice your front left tyre gets pulled all over the place, Why do we as the tax payer get penalised constantly for shoddy workmen who make a profit on there jobs but dont know what a leveler is! I say its not fair and its a constant circle that will never get done properly! Not only that its dangerous and i think you will find a health and saftey law in there somewhere.
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Great point by CJ regarding the Eastbound turning from the Hamburger hut. The first time I used it I, like a fool, assumed that the little island would still accommodate a car, only to find out that I blocked all the Westbound traffic whilst I waited for the Eastbound traffic to let me go. What are you supposed to do now? Block the traffic as I did, or wait until it’s clear from both directions, which as everybody knows, doesn’t happen very often?
I drove up and down the length of the Avenue last night just to check how poor the surface is. As expected, it’s absolutely fine. I’ll only charge £300,000 for the service, so hey sesame, I’ve saved the States £2 million.
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You lot make me laugh. You have no idea what goes into repairing and re surfacing roads. Drainage has to be replaced ,manholes have to be changed to meet current regulations for weight and skid resistance. The new lighting requires upgraded cables. You cannot just click your fingers and everything is completed. You’ll moan a lot more if its not done and great big potholes appear in the carraigeway. And by the way i have no connection in any way shape or form with any of the contractors carrying out this essential work.
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I totally agree with 10. Warren J. Some parts of the avenue are in a terrible state and in need of urgent repair. And the reason why this is going to take so long is because they are not just resurfacing but are laying new drains and installing new lighting as well. I for one am glad to see that the States are investing in our infrastructure.
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26.Mick) Hear, hear, well said. At long last an informed comment. I don’t profess to be a Highways Engineer but I do know there is whole lot more to repairing a road than meets the eye. Also I believe (could be wrong) that weather conditions, hours of daylight, temperature, etc are all infleuncing factors, which determine how quickly a road can be repaired. When you throw all these issues in the mix you can begin to see how easily the £2.3 million racks up.
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26.Mick,
Youmiss the point, all the work that needs to be done needs to be passed and it takes months, What happens in most places is all the work is done at the same time, pipes are fitted, cables are fitted then the road is resurfaced, If this is done the road surface lasts a lot longer than it would if you have bits ripped up at different times causing the road to loose strength and start stretching and causing tarmac splitting, not only that but the cost to the tax payer is reduced as well! The road at St John was completly resurfaced, it was great, two weeks later it was dug up to fit drainage, its now sinking in spots where the work was done using a different grade of tarmac, Madness! Were not stupid as we all have eyes and can see this happening, we all know to save costs the tarmac is reused which causes problems with bonding the granite in the tarmac causing chipping thus more wear. If you ask a uk company to do the work it would cost one third the price, as the saying goes think twice get ripped off locally!
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#29, you make a great point. The road next to us was dug up for one thing, then weeks later for some water thing then weeks later because the redevelopment of a building started! None of these works were emergency related, they were all known about well in advance, which begs the question… why not communicate with each other so that the road is only dug up once?
#26 I think a lot of people are well informed about the requirements for fixing roads and the fact that there are many considerations. However, you fail to realise that people have vast experience of similar works being done in many other places and so get a good idea of exactly how long a piece of work can be expected to last. We don’t all assume it’s as easy as ripping off a top-surfce and laying down a new one!
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#29 I really would like to know where you get your infomation from. I have been in the road repair industry in Jersey for nearly 20years and i have yet to see an asphalt plant in the island re-use old tarmac. If you would like to contact the LAB at Ronez i,m sure they will tell you the same thing.
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Guys, be grateful that you get at least some roads resurfaced. Here in Reading, we are finally getting last winter’s potholes filled in. (I think they are using the Sunderland method, as the repair is almost as uncomfortable to drive on as the pothole.)
I remember back in 2001 I was over in Jersey, and the person giving me a lift complained about the state of the road we were on. (Eastbound near the hamburger stall, just down from Bel Royal Garage.)
I told her that was the state roads were left in here after they had been resurfaced. (Now we just get the Sunderland method.)
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James Knight 32
I think you’re a bit confused, the “Sunderland method” is used for geriatric assessment not road repairs, and is a specific adjunct for detecting executive cognitive dysfunction…
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James Knight 32
Maybe you were referring to my post 9, where I mentioned a Sunderland “based” company (and for obvious reasons, not the name of the company/operating method). In which case, the new-generation machine I was talking about is still in the R&D stages, so it not even available yet. Therefore, it definitely can’t be held responsible for the poor road repairs in your neck of the woods.
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Thanks Born Warrior, at least your post 33 gave me a laugh.
Next time I am jolted by Reading potholes, I will tell myself I just imagined it due to going senile!
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My info unfortunatly came at the expense and time of the tax payer, when New St was resurfaced the people doing it reused the tarmac as they admitted, this road had to be dug up and redone! You can see the quality of the tarmac used when you look at the size of the stones used (as used for resurfacing pipe work) the larger stone surfaces seem to last longer than the small stone particles, also there is a lot less wearing and temparature problems because of better bonding!
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