Mile-and-a-half Lancashire road with 88 holes

There may be 4,000 holes in Blackburn Lancashire, but one sleepy village nearby can boast almost 90 on just one short stretch of road.
Shoddy: Gallows Lane in Ribchester, where 88 damaged areas are to be repairedShoddy: Gallows Lane in Ribchester, where 88 damaged areas are to be repaired
Shoddy: Gallows Lane in Ribchester, where 88 damaged areas are to be repaired

Gallows Lane in Ribchester is in line for repairs, with 88 damaged areas circled and numbered on the mile-and-a-half road.

Cyclists say the worn areas force them to ride in the middle of the road, and highways bosses have pledged to deal with the problem.

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Andrew Orrell, sales manager of Kingdom Furnishings based in Gallows Lane, said: “I cycle to work most days and I really struggle on there.

Shoddy: Gallows Lane in Ribchester, where 88 damaged areas are to be repairedShoddy: Gallows Lane in Ribchester, where 88 damaged areas are to be repaired
Shoddy: Gallows Lane in Ribchester, where 88 damaged areas are to be repaired

“The bottom end of Gallows Lane is absolutely full of them, I swerve all over the place to avoid them. Even in the car it’s very bumpy.” Farmer Brian Whalley, who lives in Gallows Lane, said: “They’ve numbered each pothole starting at the bottom of the lane.

“We are near the top and we’ve got to 73, then there are some more higher up. It’s very rough and it needs sorting.”

Karen Cassar, highways asset manager for Lancashire County Council, said: “We’ve used paint to identify the extent of worn areas on Gallows Lane as part of our preparations to carry out repairs.

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“Our approach will be to put large patches over the damaged areas this year before returning next year to carry out a surface dressing treatment, which seals the whole surface and aims to preserve it for a number of years by preventing water getting in and causing potholes to appear.

Shoddy: Gallows Lane in Ribchester, where 88 damaged areas are to be repairedShoddy: Gallows Lane in Ribchester, where 88 damaged areas are to be repaired
Shoddy: Gallows Lane in Ribchester, where 88 damaged areas are to be repaired

“Our inspectors also use paint to identify potholes which present a potential risk to traffic, which we prioritise for temporary repair within 20 working days. However this is not the case on Gallows Lane where the damage is less severe but we are instead marking out to prepare a wider repair scheme.”