Bits of tar sticking to tyres and shoes as road in Staffordshire melts in heatwave

A road is melting in the heatwave, with bits of tar sticking to tyres and even to flip flops, residents have complained.

Residents in Cannock town in Staffordshire, said it is a safety risk, and it is causing expensive damage to their tyres and driveways in Gorsemoor Road.

The highways authority has temporarily closed the road, and has been out on Friday and Saturday to treat it.

"You're ripping up great big chunks out of the road and when you put the car onto the drive, it's literally bringing all the tar onto the drives and it's just spreading all over them," said Marc Edwards.

He and his family have been watching as drivers fall foul to the sticky surface.

He continued: "It's wrecking loads of people's drives all up and down the street, and and obviously with the tyre issues as well, it's condensing on tyres overnight."

One resident has been quoted £300 to repair her tyres, which are covered in tarmac and stones from the road.

"A lady was crossing the street and her flipflop got stuck in the tarmac and it almost came off," Josh Newbury, MP for Cannock Chase said.

"It caused her to trip. A car had to do an emergency stop to not hit her. It just shows it's not just motorists at risk, it's also pedestrians."

Resident Shaun Dennis said he has only been using his car early in the morning or late at night since the road started melting. He said: "It's quite shocking after being recently renewed. Motorways don't melt, roads in Spain don't melt, certain roads that you drive on in this temperature aren't melting.

"So there's obviously something fundamental about the work that's been done here."

"A lady was crossing the street and her flipflop got stuck in the tarmac and it almost came off," Josh Newbury, MP for Cannock Chase said.

"It caused her to trip. A car had to do an emergency stop to not hit her. It just shows it's not just motorists at risk, it's also pedestrians."

Resident Shaun Dennis said he has only been using his car early in the morning or late at night since the road started melting. He said: "It's quite shocking after being recently renewed. Motorways don't melt, roads in Spain don't melt, certain roads that you drive on in this temperature aren't melting.

Peter Mason, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways, said: “We are aware of the current condition of Gorsemoor Road in Cannock and have been working closely with our contractors to address the issue as a priority.

“As you’ll be aware, an amber heat health alert is currently in place. A sunny day in the 20Cs can be enough to generate 50°C on the dark asphalt road surfaces. Over the weekend, temperatures in Staffordshire are reaching over 30°C, significantly increasing the risk of surface melting on newly laid roads.

“Yesterday, we deployed a gritter to treat the road with granite dust. This helps absorb the softened bitumen and improves grip for vehicles using the road. This afternoon, a second application of granite dust has been carried out, and an inspector is also visiting site today to assess whether a temporary road closure is needed to ensure safety for all road users.

“We’d like to thank residents and drivers for their patience while we work to manage the impact of these high temperatures on the road network.”

"So there's obviously something fundamental about the work that's been done here."