The overtaking lane on the A970 north of Lerwick will be closed later today and will remain shut for the remainder of the winter season as a precaution, due to loose stone chips.
According to the council, despite regular sweeping a significant number of chips were still being dislodged from the road surface following each period of frost.
The overtaking lane would be closed and the two lanes of traffic segregated with traffic cones until the end of winter when risk of cold weather had passed, the council stated.
Over the past few years we have had three windscreen replacements due to damage by stone chips, and each time the chip flew from the wheels of an overtaking car. These chips are certainly a problem. Our incidents, however, never occured on the road out of Lerwick. What about the overtaking that takes place on the Lang Kames, the Dales Leas, the West Yell road….to name but a few? This road closure is unlikely to make much difference, I fear.
Instead of closing why not try adequate maintenance?
Ali, you just said what 23000 people think!!
Could not have put better myself!!
Aye Ally they could try using a 'heavy roller' on the road to compact the chips. Of course if they are coming loose in frost dare I say that they might have been laid at the wrong time of year!!!
What about the inside lane thats now nearly bare down one side? How does this aid braking?
Once again its a mess like the other recently dressed roads.
Like many others in Shetland we too have lost windscreens due to flying stones off recently stone chip dressed roads. I think three or four in last 15 years. It is wrong to blame the men who do the job as they try hard to only chip when roads are dry and weather forecasts are favourable and they do a good job.
Due to costs I think stone chipping is the only way the council can afford to maintain the roads and stop them wearing out. Probably something we have to live with until they can find a better tar to stick stones down with. Cold weather and moisture are not good for this job and Shetland is more often than not cooler and wetter than other parts of the UK. One unexpected shower can probably damage the whole job. Perhaps washing the stones to free them of dust may help them stick better?
If we stopped sending all our surplus south we would have plenty of spare cash to fix the roads and anything else needing done. Oh and we are generally warmer than the rest of the UK in winter when frost is likely.
I spotted somebody using this lane to overtake slow moving traffic going downhill the other day!