Questions asked about why road surface cannot stand up to 30C heat when highways in warmer parts of the world have no issues
Gorsemoor Road in Cannock is ‘melting’ in the heat, residents claim.
A Midland street turned into a sticky trap as soaring temperatures caused the surface to melt, sticking shoes and cars to the road, it was claimed.
Images have emerged showing tyres smothered in gooey ooze from a residential road in Cannock during the current heatwave.
Thermometers topped 30C, setting the scene for the trouble over the weekend.
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A woman was said to have narrowly escaped an accident when her flip flops became stuck to the roasting road surface. Residents from Gorsemoor Road claimed the melted surface had damaged vehicles and driveways.
Council highway crews shut down the street on both Friday and Saturday for urgent repairs. Postman Roger Wain, 49, saw first-hand the havoc, including a neighbour’s Range Rover getting a tarring treatment in the scorching weather.
The father-of-one said: “It’s changed the road surface and the look and that’s partly down to the weather. It’s ripped parts of the road up. They resurfaced it four or five weeks ago, whether it wasn’t done properly or whether it was a combination of the heat and a shoddy job.
“I’ve been lucky and kept out the way but a few people have had it stick to their tyres. One of the neighbours said a resident a few doors down came back with a Range Rover and it all stuck to the tyres and when they pulled up all the road surface had gone all over their drive and ruined the wheels and driveway.
“It’s been around 30C the past few days, so it sort of crescendoed at about 31C on Saturday.”
The damage in Gorsemoor Road, Cannock.
Resident Marc Edwards, 44, said: “When you drive on the road you’re literally ripping up great big chunks of the road surface and when you put the car onto the drive, it’s bringing all the tar onto the drives and it’s just spreading all over them.
“It’s wrecking loads of drives all up and down the street, and it’s hardening on the tyres overnight. We thought potholes were bad but this is ridiculous.”
One motorist said they had been quoted £300 to repair her tyres, which were coated in the road surface and stones.
MP Josh Newbury, who represents Cannock Chase, said: “A lady was crossing the street and her flip flop got stuck in the surface and it almost came off. It caused her to trip. A car had to do an emergency stop to not hit her. It just shows it’s not just motorists at risk, it’s also pedestrians.”
Shaun Dennis only uses his car early in the morning or late at night when the roads will be their coolest.
Gorsemoor Road in Cannock.
He said: “Motorways don’t melt, roads in Spain don’t melt, certain roads you drive on in this temperature aren’t melting.
“So there’s obviously something fundamental about the work that’s been done here.”
Peter Mason, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways, said: “We are aware of the current condition of Gorsemoor Road in Cannock and have been working closely with our contractors to address the issue as a priority.
“Over the weekend, temperatures in Staffordshire are reaching over 30C, significantly increasing the risk of surface melting on newly-laid roads.”
Gritters, typically seen during the frosty winter months combating icy conditions, have been repurposed across the county to tackle the sweltering heat. They are distributing granite dust across the road surface, a method that absorbs the softened bitumen and enhances traction for drivers.
