The re-emergence of a series of huge cracks, some as wide as 40mm, along a two-year-old cycle path has been blamed by the council on “unexpectedly soft ground conditions”, after a local cyclist branded the cracks an accident waiting to happen.
The shared-use path, which runs alongside the A2990 Old Thanet Way between Herne Bay and Whitstable and forms part of a series of active travel improvements implemented in recent years by Kent County Council, was opened in April 2023, replacing an overgrown, impassable footpath.
However, in the six months after the path was opened to the public, continuous cracks already began to appear in its surface along a mile-long section, while the edges also significantly deteriorated and crumbled.
We reported at the time that local cyclist Sean Beaver counted 233 cracks in the path’s surface throughout that short section, claiming the splits were “getting wider by the day”. He also explained that the surface was breaking away at the edges, due to kerbs failing and “taking big chunks of asphalt with them”.
“At this rate, the new path will be unusable in the next few months,” the cyclist added. “It is really disappointing because that path is such a benefit. Originally it was just a footpath. This is a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Following the complaints, interim works, costing £2,446, were carried out by the contractor to cover up the cracks on the £575,000 path.
The council, who claimed that the path was constructed to design standards, also said in October 2023 that it would work with the contractors to “find a more permanent solution”.
However, under two years on the same problems have re-emerged, prompting complaints from cyclists that the latest batch of cracks are big enough to swallow a front wheel.
“The council have done some repairs, but those repairs themselves are breaking up – now there are great big cracks in it,” Herne Bay resident Richard Stead, who rides along the path every week, told KentOnline.
“I ride a bike with a 40mm-wide tyre, and my front tyre will actually go into one of the cracks. If there’s a child riding along there on a bike, if they went down one of those cracks, they would literally be flipped over the handlebars.”
Responding to the complaints, Kent County Council has insisted that the constant cracking of the path’s surface is not down to poor workmanship, but is instead a result of the soil on which the infrastructure sits.
“The failure of the 600-metre section of the cycle path is due to unexpectedly soft ground conditions in that area,” a spokesperson for the council said.
“A reinforced base was installed along the entire route, but, following ground testing of this section, it was found that the issue is due to its underlying soil composition, making the ground very soft.
“We are now reviewing options to strengthen this part of the path further to ensure long-term durability.”
The council also said it is waiting on quotes for a “thorough” repair job, but that in the meantime it will focus on yet another temporary fix to cover the widest cracks.
However, Stead argued that if the works are not carried out soon, the path’s problems will only continue to grow as we approach the winter.
“I’m worried the council will not get around to it for months and then they’ll say we can’t do the repairs because of the winter weather, so then will we have to wait another year?” the 59-year-old said.
“If this goes on until winter and water gets into the cracks and freezes, that’s going to make them even worse.”