Residents believe the road is in ‘desperate’ need of repairs
A Cambridgeshire road that’s uneven and has large cracks has been slammed as being “absolutely lethal” by drivers. Some Cambridgeshire country roads aren’t in the best condition, especially those in the Fenland area.
One frequently used by drivers who feel the road is in “desperate” need of repairs is Forty Foot Bank in Ramsey. Ryan Wilson, from Ramsey, blew two tyres as a result of the large cracks in the road.
He thinks the “whole road” needs repairing. He added: “Having a double tyre blow out could have put me in the water. We have to make our cars road worthy, so they should make the roads car worthy. I use this route everyday for work. I would cycle but it’s too dangerous for cars, so biking would be more dangerous.”
Kate Bunting described the road as “absolutely lethal”. She said: “The road is so damaged that it throws cars into the middle or the side of the road. [They are] close to the bank as well. It’s not fit for purpose whatsoever, and neither are the roads surrounding it.”
Kate said drivers on the road have “no choice” other than to “compromise their vehicles and drive unsafe roads”. She added: “It’s absolutely crucial that it’s improved.” Kate referred to November 2025 when there were four crashes on the same day along the road.
She added: “Not to mention the multiple cars that have veered off into the bank over the years, sadly causing people to lose their lives.”
Darren Imms said Forty Foot Bank is the “most direct route” to places like Peterborough, and believes it is important it is properly repaired. He said: “Like many residents that live here or in neighbouring villages, we have been subjected to vast expansion in an area that was never designed to take it.
“This has resulted in a triple amount of vehicles using the roads that were never designed to take it. You cannot keep adding and adding without expecting some form of negative reaction and one of these things has been our roads. The council not maintaining the roads for many years has just been the final straw that broke the camel’s back.”
When repairs have been made to the road, residents feel they are not sustainable. Primvs Aebvtivs, who uses the road five to six times a week said: “The roads don’t seem to have long lasting repairs made.
“I’ve been here almost 12 years and the current repairs seem to have partially stabilised the surface where it’s been done. No matter how well the road has been resurfaced, I continually follow vehicles that straddle the white line. I see this and believe it’s because the driver is staying on the least damaged part or flattest part. I know people who will either not or they dread driving on the water side [of the road].”
Cambridgeshire County Council oversees the maintenance of roads across the county. A council spokesperson said: “We are aware of cracks that have recently appeared in a section of the Forty Foot Bank, Ramsey. This road is inspected on a monthly basis. We have scheduled repairs at this location which will be completed by early June.
“The Forty Foot Bank, like many Fen roads, is built over peat soils which means the road surfaces can become significantly uneven with seasonal and weather changes, within a relatively short period of time.
We are doing everything we can locally to maintain and keep soil affected roads safe, however, addressing this challenge properly requires national support and government funding for long-term solutions Residents can help us keep our roads and paths safe by reporting the issues they find online via our website.”
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