HIGHWAYS bosses will re-examine the road on a Blackburn estate to determine whether the whole carriageway needs to be resurfaced.

Following the receipt of a petition from the residents of Hudson Close, Cllr Phil Riley said he would ask the highways department to assess the road again to see if it was as bad as claimed.

People living on Hudson Close in Blackburn wrote to the council asking the local authority to fork out for a complete resurfacing of the road near Lammack Community Primary School.

The residents believe that it has been over 30 years since the road was last resurfaced and “that only temporary, unsatisfactory, patched repairs have been carried out”.

They claim that the “road is hazardous for vehicles, especially after heavy rainfall and dangerous for pedestrians because of the uneven nature of the road surface”.

Representing the residents, Usman Bagas said: “We are facing a significant issue with the road surface. It’s more than 30 years since it has been fully resurfaced.

“We appreciate that it is low priority but there are families and senior citizens on the street. The number of vehicles using the road has increased a lot in recent years.

A report to go before the council’s executive board next week recommends that while a complete resurfacing of the road is out of the question, a 75-metre stretch of the street should be fixed.

Cllr Riley said: “There is a 75-metre stretch where the condition of the road will continue to deteriorate more rapidly than the rest of the carriageway.

“Therefore while it might not be realistic to resurface the whole road, officers have recommended that we resurface the worst stretch.

“I have been to have a look at it and I am prepared to invite officers to review their decision.”

In the report put before the board, executive member for growth and development, Cllr Riley, said: “Present funding levels, both revenue and capital, effectively restrict consideration of only the borough’s major classified roads for the foreseeable future.

“It would be unrealistic to expect or anticipate routine, planned resurfacing of any side streets or cul-de-sacs in the foreseeable future.

“Unfortunately, the structural condition and visual appearance of these roads will continue to deteriorate, however the authority will continue to inspect them to ensure that safety defects are identified and repaired.

“Notwithstanding the above, a visual inspection shows that the major area of concern on Hudson Close is an approximately 75 metre length of carriageway just over a metre wide along the southern side of the cul-de-sac.

“It is this area that has been the subject of safety defect repairs over the years.

“The condition of this area is such that it will continue to deteriorate more rapidly than the rest of the carriageway resulting in an increasing maintenance liability going forward.

“Therefore, whilst it may not be realistic to resurface the entire carriageway of Hudson Close, officers recommend that a ‘large patch’ repair be carried out to this area at an estimated cost of £7,500.”

Funding for capital highway maintenance is now in the region of £540,000 per year.

The capital maintenance budget is committed to the long term plan for highway work which effectively precludes resurfacing roads such as Hudson Close.

If officers review the stretch of road and maintain their current assessment, resurfacing of the 75-metre stretch will go ahead.