Holes in Glencoe road worry residents

They may not look like much on the surface, but two holes on either side of Irish Trace, Glencoe, are causing concern to residents.

They say they have contacted several people, including the Diego Martin West MP's staff. The MP is the Prime Minister and the MP's office is at the end of La Horquette Valley Road, which leads to Irish Avenue.

However, despite their conversations with and visits from several authorities, nothing has been done to repair the road. There is no other way for residents to reach their homes. .

They now fear if the damaged road is not repaired – the holes, which are connected by an underground drain that was condemned years ago – will eventually make it impassable.

Residents said the holes were “hard to miss,” as one had to be filled with pieces of wood. But drivers coming down the steep hilly trace must avoid the wood-filled hole on the right, then immediately manoeuvre around the second, open hole.

While the holes are no more than a foot wide, they are about four feet deep. Water from the drains runs into
the holes and corrodes them even more from beneath the surface.

The water is “eating away at everything,” said one resident, who didn’t want to be named. “Guests of our residents have had their cars trapped in the holes. People have hit the stumps that we used to fill the other hole, and it caused damage to the underneath of their cars. It poses a big problem.”

Residents said they have been experiencing problems with the holes for several years and have been making complaints since before the August 2020 general election.

Patricia Greene, who drives a Nissan March, said every time she has to turn her car round to leave the area, as a precaution she would find a turning point further up the street from the holes, because they could damage smaller cars

“There are a lot of SUVs that come down that hill,” Greene said. “If I went down there it would be dangerous."

Residents said they had contacted the Ministry of Works, WASA, highway contractors and officials at Dr Rowley’s constituency office, who all visited the eroded road. But despite the visits, no repairs have been done.

“We got onto the head of Rowley’s constituency office, who visited about a month and a half ago and said she would come back, but she hasn’t as yet.

"They all say they are coming back but they don’t. We don’t know what else we can do now," said the resident who did not want to be named.