Sir, – Is the A684 the most unloved road in North Yorkshire?

Look at it from the perspective of a Dales’ resident in need of casualty at the Friarage in Northallerton.

The road between Aysgarth and West Witton was so badly resurfaced in 2009 that it is in as bad a state now as it was then – maybe the contractors will get back this year to do it properly, who knows. North Yorkshire Highways blame contractors, the contractor’s supplier, the weather and the lack of proper machinery for its state – never themselves.

Divert your ambulance via the hill to Aysgarth Falls, as you must as the road is flooded at Wensley and thus closed again this weekend, and you meet another road poorly resurfaced with drifts of road chippings to make for a dangerous descent on a steep hill.

And even if the road was not flooded for the umpteenth time at Wensley, the road has vast water pools and mud slicks where HGVs forced this way have to mount the verges on the approved diversion around the missing bridge that again closes the A684.

You relief will be delayed further when you meet another closure the other side of Bedale.

Let us hope contractors, contractor’s suppliers and weather allow this to be resurfaced properly.

I give you the A684, the most unloved road in North Yorkshire. Just a coincidence that it separates Dales’ residents from A&E.

JOHN LOADER West Witton, Leyburn.