They are the potholes so vast they've been described as "like canyons". Huge grooves of trench-like craters have blighted one of Manchester's busiest arterial routes as the Princess Parkway becomes Princess Road into the city.
The section of road, from Didsbury through Moss Side and Hulme, is one of the main routes into Manchester city centre and is used by thousands of motorists every day. But that has left parts of the dual carriageway road - on both north and south bounds sides - with vast troughs of pothole damage down the lanes.
The road has become so bad that even Happy Mondays star Bez complained about it in a recent interview with the MEN. And his description rather neatly sums up the situation.
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He said: “You go down Princess Parkway, they’re like canyons. They’re beyond potholes.”
Particularly bad patches are as you approach the traffic lights and cross roads with Barlow Moor Road in West Didsbury, further along at the junctions with Graeme Street, Raby Street and Great Western Street through Moss Side and along into Hulme near the big Asda superstore. Some sections are so bad that the trenches of pot holes have eroded the entire central lane lines.
We have asked Manchester City Council what is being done to address the situation, with the route set to have one of its busiest traffic periods of the year as thousands more motorists head into the city to enjoy the newly-reopened Manchester Christmas Markets.
Council bosses insist the road is "structurally safe", despite the "visual deterioriation" that motorists can very clearly see (and feel) when driving along the route.
But the good news is, work will soon start to repair the damage. The bad news is, that's going to mean significant lane closures along the main road at the start of 2023.
A spokesperson for Manchester City Council said: “The Council is aware of the current degradation on parts of Princess Road, with plans in place for the road to be repaired in January 2023, subject to suitable weather conditions.
"While the road has visually deteriorated the Council would like to reassure motorists that it is still structurally safe and will continue to be monitored up to the time of its repair.
“Given this is a key arterial route in and out of Manchester the Council will aim to begin the works during a time when disruption can be minimised."
Further details of road closures have not yet been revealed.
The spokesperson added: “The Council will set out a more detailed timeframe for repairs to the road in the New Year.”
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