A huge pothole in Birmingham, which caused havoc for motorists with a number suffering punctured tires, was repaired in ‘less than 20 minutes’ a council has said. The large pothole, which quickly filled with water, emerged in Rosemary Hill Road, Sutton Coldfield which splits Four Oaks and the Little Aston Estate on Wednesday (March 18).
And a number of motorists were caught out on it with around a dozen believed to have suffered burst tires, leading to a woman guiding people around the hazard in the early evening. One victim said the RAC reported being called out eight times to damaged cars with four damaged while she was there.
One of those affected was Paul Motzheim from Streetly who suffered a punctured tire on his Volvo V40. He had to immediately pull up and wait for a breakdown recovery vehicle.
Read more : Fury as hidden pothole shreds tires on flooded city road
The 39-year-old said: “I was driving along around 4.30pm on Wednesday (March 16) and hit the pothole. It was raining quite heavy and the wipers were going. I just heard a massive thud and felt the steering going.
“The tire deflated slowly and I was able to drive around the corner. I pulled over around into the nearest side road and the AA came out. The suspension had bottomed out but was OK. Just the tire was damaged. While I was there – in around half-an-hour another two cars with the same thing came into the road immediately after me.”
A huge pothole in Rosemary Hill Road in Sutton Coldfield caused big problems for motorists with a number suffering punctured tyres
(Image: Paul Motzheim)
He continued: “The pothole is further out from the kerb and the road is narrow. To avoid it you’d have had to hit the kerb or drive on the other side of the road. The worst thing is if a cyclist or motorbike went over it, it could have been a different story. They would be over the handlebars.”
Paul said the repair looks as if it had been chalked out. It had a temporary repair and had been filled with gravel.
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The account manager said: “My initial thoughts were disappointment because I was late picking my daughter up from my parents. And I have had to cancel appointments today. The island nearby is absolutely crippled with potholes. They fill them with gravel and as soon as a lorry goes over them the gravel gets chucked out.
“I think ultimately the council need to get their roads in a better shape for the greater good of the community. If they are not going to do that they need to be prepared to pay out for this sort of thing happening.”
Paul Motzheim’s Volvo V40’s tire had a massive hole caused by the Rosemary Hill Road pothole and cost £70 to repair
(Image: Paul Motzheim)
Other residents took to Facebook sites, Four Oaks Neighborhood News and Streetly Community Group to warn others. Several said they had suffered punctures, others reported hitting the pothole and one said she almost killed herself doing it.
Birmingham City Council said they responded within minutes of the problem being reported and fixed it in less than 20 minutes.
A spokesman for the authority said: “We were first made aware of this pothole at 7.55pm on Wednesday (March 16) and an emergency response crew attended and temporarily made the area safe by 8.13pm.
“A permanent repair will be scheduled within the next 35 days– this is to allow time to book necessary road/lane closures.
“In the meantime, the temporary repairman will be monitored by our highway inspectors who inspect this road monthly. Anyone wishing to make a claim should visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/highways for further information.”
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