A Balmedie resident has called for the council to stop dressing roads with loose chippings claiming it causes “hazardous” conditions for cyclists and bikers.
Neil Powers, 51, lives on Tormentil Crescent in the village and said the council laid out “chuckies” on one end of the street last year causing an “absolute mess”.
The experienced motorcyclist believes the road improvement works are dangerous.
He said: “I’m amazed at their audacity; putting chuckies down to fill holes is just crazy.
“One of my biker friends came off his bike onto them once and it was not pretty – he suffered numerous abrasions from the gravel.
“It’s like riding on marbles – they are a hazard.”
Aberdeenshire Council has just begun its £15.3million road maintenance programme with £1.7million spent on surface dressing in the Formartine area.
The local authority website gives details of the techniques used to carry out its road repairs and states: “Surface dressing is used as an effective and cost-efficient way to further the lifespan of roads and improve the quality of damaged carriageway.
“The technique of laying hot bitumen followed by chippings works to seal the road surface and also provides better grip for vehicles.
“However, it does require motorists to take extra care and reduce speed when passing over treated sections of carriageway as there is a short-term heightened risk of skidding.”
Last night a spokesman for the AA, Luke Bosdet said the situation was a “double-edged sword”, adding: “We would encourage road authorities to repair roads as potholes can prove more lethal than chippings. There have been 22 cyclist deaths since 2007 across the UK due to poorly maintained roads, however, we don’t have the figures for motorcyclists.”
However, Mr Powers thinks any further work to his street would be “pointless”.
He said: “Eight or nine months ago Aberdeenshire Council had chuckies put down on the eastern end of Tormentil Crescent.
“Ever since they have been breaking up, littering driveways and causing a real mess.
“We have never seen any significant damage to the surface since we moved in 15 years ago.
“We need the council to stop and think again.”
Chairman of the Infrastructure Services Committee at Aberdeenshire Council, Peter Argyle, said: “The council’s policy for surface dressing has been in place for many years and is designed to keep our roads in good repair, principally by keeping out water – it is the freezing and thawing of surface water that causes potholes.
“Clearly motorcyclists have to take great care but, I would stress, as long as all motorists follow the marked speed limits, there is no added risk or danger.”