Is this the worst street in Christchurch?

Is this the worst street in Christchurch? Many residents and business owners near this Addington eyesore reckon it is.

Motorists have to negotiate giant-sized potholes as they make their way along Walsall St.

Local business manager Brad Peterson says the high-use road is a vital thoroughfare for businesses and is used as parking for workers and shoppers.

Giant potholes in the "street that council forgot".
Giant potholes in the "street that council forgot".
The combination of high traffic loads, heavy trucks and a poor surface has meant the road has steadily gotten worse over the years, he said. 

"(It's) weather-related, as once the surface breaks and cracks - which isn't very good to begin with - the water gets underneath and it just compounds the problem.

"So, you know, heavy trucks, high traffic loads and poor surface.

"We'd like something done about it, cleaned up -because it's only a matter of time before something occurs.

"Either someone's vehicle that's parked here is going to get damaged or there's going to be a collision, which has happened.

"The road gets blocked because trucks get stuck, but also damage to people's vehicles."

He believed the problem could soon get worse, with a number of new apartments being built on the Addington street.

- By Geoff Sloan
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air