Personal experience says otherwise

Spains Rd residents Ray Paterson, Richard Sucich and Mate Radich grilling then Far North Mayor Wayne Brown about the state of their road - in 2010. Photo / Peter de Graaf

I have to strongly disagree with Sylvia Bryan (Fairy Land, letters February 23). Rather than live in Fairy Land I consider being down to Earth.

Although I have not travelled on Spains Rd often over the past year, I regularly used it nearly every day for the 15 years prior. Being a straight stretch of road past my orchard gate, I can relate to many drivers travelling at or near to the open speed of 100km/h. I can recall on several occasions being overtaken when I was travelling at 80km/h, and being fearful for my windscreen after having experienced it being chipped or cracked from approaching vehicles before.

Spains Rd, from State Highway 1 Awanui, is approximately a 3.5km straight stretch of road, 2km of which is sealed, leading on to 1.5km of gravel. It is this section where many drivers do not slow down. What made this more precarious was the large number of pot holes that were concealed by the recent rain that I referred to in my letter last week.

To end on a positive note, I noticed last Friday after my letter was published a good layer of metal had been applied over this section of road.

Ray Paterson

Kaimaumau