Derrygonnelly Main Street is being proposed as a one way system
WHILE the county’s main roads have received massive investment due to the G8 Summit, the minor roads being used to divert traffic are becoming increasingly dangerous. That’s the opinion of local councillors, some of whom are suggesting a one-way system might be needed to deal with congestion.
“The re-routed, G8 traffic has already highlighted serious issues whereby Erne West rural roads must be resurfaced now,” according to local councillor Bernice Swift. She believes potholes must be filled in to prevent fatalities.
“The mother of all potholes are peppered right across the G8 diverted roads and they are already causing damage to cars, let alone causing dangerous swerving in efforts to avoid them.”
Councillor Swift believes that priority works should have bee given to these roads which are already in a bad state of repair and where the extra volume of re-routed traffic is moving
“Locals are more than aware of all the dangerous humps, bumps and potholes and know well how to manoeuvre to avoid them, however, the bad accident waiting to happen, are those drivers who are completely unaware of the dangers.
“Potholes with the yellow circles are all very well, this means two things, Road Service have identified they need to be filled in and secondly, you are not entitled to compensation if your bust your wheel or your trim flies off. We demand these issues are addressed right now.”
She also highlighted concerns that many of the roads do not even have white lines painted up the middle of them and said that over the weekend it was apparent that much of the traffic were taking both sides of the road.
The situation in Derrygonnelly is of paramount concern to both councillor Swift and Stephen Huggett.
Mr Huggett said that with regard to the traffic management plan for Derrygonnelly, no one had been told what it consisted of. “It’s outrageous we’re not told how authorities are going to deal with traffic. Part of the traffic plan should have been a one way system in Derrygonnelly, that was the first thing that should have been done.”
Councillor Swift added: “For the duration of the G8 re-routing, I demand that the only practical response, is to make Derrygonnelly a one-way system. This will ensure there are no unnecessary bottle-necks or villagers losing any more parts of their car; will the G8 pay to replace damage to cars in my village – I don’t think so?”
Brendan Gallagher was another to weigh into the debate and said: “Roads taking extra traffic have to be given extra resources. The roads around Derrygonnelly are already being cut up.”
He also expressed his concerns that the junction into Belleek taking traffic up through Kesh by way of the diversion was an ‘accident waiting to happen’.
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