Local council worst district for potholes

Our council area is the worst affected by potholes in the whole of Northern Ireland, it has been revealed.
Cllr Darryn Causby at a pothole in Ranfurley Road PortadownCllr Darryn Causby at a pothole in Ranfurley Road Portadown
Cllr Darryn Causby at a pothole in Ranfurley Road Portadown

The Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has reported 18,173 defects to the roads.

Its nearest rival is Newry, Mourne and Down with 17,264 and is well above Belfast with 12,260 defects.

DUP Cllr Darryn Causby said that while over the years pothole problems have been seasonal during winter, he has noticed a substantial increase in holes all year round.

“They seem to be only filling in big potholes instead of dealing with the smaller ones before they become a major problem,” he said. “Do you put a fence at the tope of a cliff or an ambulance at the bottom?”

He also pointed out 15 patches on a 50-metre stretch of one street in Portadown - Glanroy Avenue.

The potholes are causing major problems for road users who are complaining of damage to tyres after driving through some deep holes.

Others have complained that springs have broken in their vehicle due to the jolting effect while driving over potholes. And it has been pointed out the dangers, as some drivers are swerving to avoid the potholes.

The issue was revealed by SDLP’s Colin McGrath who described the problem as ‘very dangerous’ and called for the Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard to come up with a permanent solution rather than temporary repairs.

A spokesperson for the Department of Infrastructure said the budget allocated to carriageway patching for 2016/17 is £9.1 million. “There are many factors which contribute to the deterioration of road surfaces, many a result of ongoing weather conditions,

“The department’s priority is to ensure the safety of all road users and Transport NI manages an ongoing programme of roads maintenance,” she said.