Frustrated residents in a Birmingham neighbourhood believe they have identified one of the most severe potholes in the entire West Midlands region. The deep crater has appeared on a road opposite the popular Cannon Hill Park, close to the internationally renowned Edgbaston Cricket Ground.
A 'Monster' Pothole in a Salubrious Setting
Despite its location in a prestigious area, locals describe the road defect as a "monster." The site was visited and filmed on Friday, December 6, revealing a collection of significant road imperfections centred around one particularly deep hole. The damage is severe enough to force vehicles to navigate it with extreme caution.
One driver gave a stark warning about the hazard. "Surely this is the largest pothole in the West Midlands," they said. "You absolutely have to slow down for it. If you forget and take it at over 20mph it creates an absolute racket." The driver added a grim prediction, stating, "It's only going to get worse in the coming months - something has to be done about this."
Disruption and Danger for Daily Commuters
The pothole's impact on traffic is significant and daily. Observers noted that some vehicles sent water spraying wildly when hitting the defect, while others were forced to slow almost to a complete stop to pass it carefully. This disruption affects both private cars and public transport buses that use the route, clunking their way around the damage.
This issue taps into a long-standing grievance for Birmingham's motorists, who have consistently complained about the general state of the city's roads. However, according to the latest available data, the Birmingham area is currently graded as amber for road conditions. This places it on a similar level to other West Midlands metropolitan boroughs including:
- Walsall
- Wolverhampton
- Solihull
- Dudley
A Call for Action and Comparison
The emergence of this particularly severe pothole near a major park and sports venue has intensified calls for repairs. Residents are now challenging others across the region: is this truly the worst example, or have you encountered a more dangerous road defect? The question puts the spotlight on ongoing maintenance challenges faced by local authorities.
The situation underscores the persistent battle against road deterioration, even in areas considered to be among the city's more desirable. With winter conditions likely to exacerbate existing damage, the demand for a swift fix from highways teams is growing louder by the day.
