Rod Stewart Scolded by Essex Highways for Road Repair Video
Bryan Rolli
Bryan Rolli Published: March 15, 2022
Rod Stewart stole hearts with his viral road-repair video this week, but at least one party was less than impressed: Essex Highways.
The 77-year-old rocker on Saturday shared a video that showed him grabbing a shovel and helping to fill potholes on a damaged road. Stewart, who was dressed in the training gear of Scotland's Celtic Football Club, said he was spurred to action because he couldn't drive his Ferrari over the pothole-scarred road.
"This is the road near where I live in Harlow, and it's been like this for ages," Stewart lamented. "And the other day there was an ambulance with a burst tire. My Ferrari can't go through here at all. So me and the boys thought we'd come and do it ourselves. So this is what we're doing, filling in the holes, while millions and millions of pounds have been spent on the M11," referring to another nearby motorway.
He added: "I'm repairing the street where I live because no one can bother to do it!"
Watch Rod Stewart Repair the Road
While many praised Stewart's initiative, a spokesperson for Essex Highways advised people not to follow the singer's lead, as they could put themselves at risk.
"While we would like to prioritize repairs to every road, the scale of our network — over 5,000 miles — means this is impossible, and we have to focus on repairing defects likely to be most detrimental to the safety of our road users," a spokesperson told HuffPost.
"While we appreciate Sir Rod's commitment and community spirit, we discourage anyone from carrying out work on the roads themselves," the spokesperson continued. "Without proper traffic management and other specific safety measures, residents are putting themselves and others at risk."
Stewart's efforts were nevertheless a huge hit and led to plenty of puns incorporating lyrics from his biggest hits. Lest the singer feels discouraged by Essex Highways' scolding, perhaps one of his famous characters can lend a hand. As broadcast journalist James Hoggarth tweeted: "If Rod can't fix it Maggie may."
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Source: Rod Stewart Scolded by Essex Highways for Road Repair Video
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