Potholes: A nightmare road to Cheltuitori village
Suburban residents accuse Chisinau City Hall of failing to repair roads around the capital, which remain riddled with potholes after last winter. The road at the entrance to the village of Cheltuitori looks like a war zone, frustrating drivers. The mayor of Cheltuitori says the Chisinau authorities manage this stretch of road. Officials from the capital's City Hall promise to assess the road to determine what interventions can be made.
The road at the entrance to the village of Cheltuitori remains riddled with potholes following last winter. Locals say the authorities have made no attempt to address the issue so far. Spring has passed, then summer, yet the four-kilometer stretch of road still hasn't been repaired. Drivers travel slowly, trying their best to dodge the potholes and avoid damaging their vehicles. They hope the section will be fixed before next winter arrives.
"I drive this road eight times a day, and it’s in terrible condition; even the children are late getting places. It’s just one pothole after another—nobody seems to care about this road."
"The road has deteriorated further since last winter. My car is getting damaged, and I’m spending a lot on repairs. That’s no excuse for the local council to cut corners. I’ve had tires blow out after hitting a pothole."
"I have business here often, and I can see the road is in bad shape. We’re waiting—maybe they’ll fix it when the elections come around. That’s how things work here: nothing gets done until there’s an election. I thought they’d fix it back in the spring."
Residents of Cheltuitori village have submitted collective petitions to the capital's City Hall, signed by over 100 people.
"Winter has passed—we’ve been through the freezing season—and the road has deteriorated so badly. The last petition was submitted in April, and we received a response from the Urban Mobility Directorate stating that action would be taken. Yet, from May through September, no work was done at all," notes local councilor Sergiu Bolea.
"Ideally, the road should be milled and an additional layer of asphalt laid down. But we would be happy if they at least filled these large, deep potholes. One day, on my way to Chișinău, I saw a man whose truck was missing a wheel. So, they should at least repair the road to make it passable," says Sergiu Cebotaru, mayor of Tohatin commune.
When asked for a response, representatives of the Chisinau Municipal Council’s Urban Mobility Directorate said the road surface has deteriorated faster because heavy-duty trucks used for residential construction have been using it frequently. The situation will be assessed, after which the feasible repair works will be determined.
