A BUSY Wirral road has been dubbed one of the worst in the country because of poorly maintained road markings.

More than 80% of the markings on the A551 – which runs from Wallasey to Heswall – are in desperate need of replacement, according to The Road Safety Markings Association.

After studying 2,420m of England’s roads, the RSMA branded the A551 as the third worst in the country.

Wirral Council questioned the claim and said the road – which the authority inspects every three months – has mostly good markings.

But the RSMA – which took a much smaller sample of the A551 than it did for other roads in its top and worst lists - said none of the markings they analysed reached recommended industry standards, with 83% requiring immediate replacement.

The RSMA deemed the remaining 17% of markings to be in such a poor condition that it said they needed to be scheduled for replacement work.

Starting in Wallasey Village, the A551 runs from Wallasey through to Moreton and Upton before leading to Heswall.

A spokesman for Wirral Council said: “Roads in Wirral are regularly inspected and there is a programme of road repairs, including renewal of road markings.

“If any unacceptable sections are found, they are scheduled for renewal.
“Most of this route, which is inspected every three months has good road markings.”

It is not just the A551 that has come off badly, with the RSMA study revealing that 47% of England’s road markings need replacing.

RSMA national director George Lee said: “Despite continuing to give assurances of their commitment to road safety, those responsible for the upkeep of our roads continue to neglect the most cost-effective safety device available to road engineers, the white line.

“It is shameful that half of the markings on roads in England are so worn out that they need to be replaced.”