Sinn Féin Councillor Mickey Larkin met recently with officials from the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to highlight the significant deterioration of road surface conditions in Dromintee and Jonesborough.
Mr Larkin travelled the area with an engineer from Roads Service, pointing out the defects, many of which he says present safety hazards to road users.
“We viewed potholes which were on the verge of becoming trenches and photographed all defects along our roads. Every pothole and drainage issue has been recorded and reported to the Department. This is the first stage of the process to ensure all defects are repaired,” he said.
Councillor Larkin extended his appreciation to the DfI engineer for ensuring the repair works on a stretch of the Dromintee Road, between Meigh and its junction with the Aghadavoyle Road – which had been first reported in mid-December and again earlier this month – were carried out within two days of their site visit.
Meanwhile, party colleague Councillor Terry Hearty has called for an immediate start to the resurfacing scheme on Concession Road, Culloville, which is scheduled to begin in April. Mr Hearty says the road condition is such bad condition that the work should be carried out now and revealed DfI Roads Service officials had inspected the site along with himself and Sinn Fein MLA Megan Fearon.
“The senior Roads Section Engineer informs me that, subject to receipt of the resurfacing budget in the new financial year, it is proposed to commence the first stage of this resurfacing scheme from Loughross Road to the 40mph signs at the village limit in April 2018. The Roads Service Officer also stated that despite reports in the local press, he was at present not aware of recent additional allocated funding for resurfacing,” he said. “I believe that the resurfacing work on this road should begin immediately and also that the road is resurfaced from Culloville to Ballinacarry Bridge. There is little point in doing a piecemeal job.”