The Mansfield and Ashfield junction where drivers’ windows are being chipped by flying tarmac

Drivers say they are also being forced to swerve their vehicles to avoid ‘dangerous’ and ‘crater-sized’ potholes.

The section of Beck Lane, where it meets the A617 – towards Pleasley Hill – and Abbott Road along the Ashfield and Mansfield district border, has been left littered with potholes in recent years.

Dylan James, who works at East Midlands Airport and regularly commutes through the Beck Lane junction, says the poor section of road was noticeable around two years ago, when the council came out to do emergency patch repairs.

Now he claims part of the junction is ‘crumbling away’.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Over time with lorries going over, it’s slowly starting to crumble away – so much so now that all of the tarmac is being sprayed on vehicles behind other cars and is all over the pavement.

“Other potholes are crater-size – I’ve never seen potholes like this in my life.”

The 21-year-old said the size of some of the dips are that large that they trigger his car sensors.

Drivers on this section of road are often travelling fast, with the speed alternating between 40 miles per hour and the national speed limit.

Mr James said: “As it goes into the bend, people who aren’t familiar with the road aren’t aware of all this damage, they go at quite some speed and send the tarmac flying – it’s chipped my window.

“Something more dangerous than driving over it – I go at 5mph – is that it’s causing people to avoid them and go on the opposite side of the road.

“It’s one of the main roads into Kings Mill Hospital – the amount of time ambulances are swerving.”

Mr James says he is concerned extra HGV traffic from a nearby approved industrial estate will make matters worse.

Nottinghamshire Council, the authority responsible for the county’s highways, recently embarked on two intensive road-fixing schemes to begin clearing its backlog of more than £400m in highway repairs.

Back in February, it announced it would spend £2m on ’emergency’ road repairs across 35 sites most in need in the county.

Then, in March, the Reform-led authority announced it would invest a ‘record-breaking’ £122.5m in 2026-27 in phase one of extensive roadworks – this figure is set to jump to more than £181m once phase two is approved this April.

While the council’s 2026-27 list of roads to tackle is substantial, it does not appear to include the deteriorating junction that is just a short drive from Kings Mill Hospital.

The LDRS asked the council for an update on potential fixes to the junction section, but it could not provide specific dates.

However, a council spokesperson said: “An inspection team will be assessing the road to decide on the most appropriate course of action.

“We will then provide an update on when the work will be scheduled. In the interim, we will make any repairs as required to make the road safe.”