Advanced Driving Hub

Just back from a holiday in Northern Spain.
Roads immaculate.
Unlike here.
Why?

Don't get me started

Serious answer is that, presumably, their roads don't suffer the ravages of frost, ice and salt?

I believe northern parts of Spain do get snow, but I doubt it's anywhere near what you get up there, and yes that does make a difference to the deterioration of road surfaces.

Horse wrote:Serious answer is that, presumably, their roads don't suffer the ravages of frost, ice and salt?

Serious answer to you is that UK Governments should write and contract specifications that deal with such problems.
Oh, they're useless and can't.
Yet we tolerate it.

Didn't the Spanish government spend a huge amount on road and other civil engineering projects a few years ago?

That would have given them great road quality to start with. Non scientific observation (a holiday a couple of years ago) would suggest that their major routes have significantly lower traffic than our equivalent which would help preserve road surfaces. However, if you get high enough into the Pyrenees to have snow in May you also find variable states of repair.

Astraist wrote:I believe northern parts of Spain do get snow, but I doubt it's anywhere near what you get up there, and yes that does make a difference to the deterioration of road surfaces.

You can go skiing a 90 minute drive from the Mediterranean coast There are ice warnings in the suburbs of Barcelona and the country as a whole is one of the most mountainous in Europe; snow chains/tyres are compulsory in large tracts of the country.
There is less traffic density of course and this helps a great deal.

Carbon Based wrote:Didn't the Spanish government spend a huge amount on road and other civil engineering projects a few years ago?

The UK could choose to do the same (maybe instead of throwing money at London ) Instead it spends more on shitty patches that don't last, and gravel chippings that destroy my paint. Anyone who thinks a bunch of loose stone chippings are an appropriate road surface should be made to cycle along these roads while HGVs belt past and pelt them with the loose stuff.

We'd rather spend £10 a year every year for 20 years /and still have a shitty mispatched surface/ than spend £100 on a decent surface that lasts 20 years.

WhoseGeneration wrote:

Horse wrote:Serious answer is that, presumably, their roads don't suffer the ravages of frost, ice and salt?

Serious answer to you is that UK Governments should write and contract specifications that deal with such problems.
Oh, they're useless and can't.
Yet we tolerate it.

Two more thoughts, then: how much more would that cost and would the public be prepared to pay that?

jont- wrote:

Carbon Based wrote:Didn't the Spanish government spend a huge amount on road and other civil engineering projects a few years ago?

The UK could choose to do the same (maybe instead of throwing money at London ) Instead it spends more on shitty patches that don't last, and gravel chippings that destroy my paint. Anyone who thinks a bunch of loose stone chippings are an appropriate road surface should be made to cycle along these roads while HGVs belt past and pelt them with the loose stuff.

We'd rather spend £10 a year every year for 20 years /and still have a shitty mispatched surface/ than spend £100 on a decent surface that lasts 20 years.

The Toyo tyres on my MX5 pick up these stones a lot. The stones then get chucked out at my wheel arches, and I assume, at anyone else within range.
I've honestly never seen roads repaired the way we do here; is it just the UK that does this or is it more widespread (the repair not the gravel )