AN ongoing patch up job by Transport NI on the Derrylin to Lisnaskea road has left residents cracking up! 

Years of wear and tear on the road between Hollybank and Trasna Way in Lisnaskea caused by severe flooding, winter storms and heavily loaded articulated lorries have taken their toil. 

The area experienced heavy flooding in December and January resulting in badly worn roads that are now plagued by dangerous potholes and uneven surfaces.  

One local resident contacted the Fermanagh Herald this week to vent his frustration at the current condition of the road and the lack of action to properly repair it: 

“The roads around Lisnaskea are cracking up and so are the residents,” he said.  

“All we get done on the road are endless patch-up jobs and these only last for so long. Once the bad weather comes around again, we’re always back to square one and the potholes and cracks re-appear. It’s just not good enough. Everytime I turn up to my home, the car shakes all over the place because the surface of the road is now in such an awful state. It’s not great that in this day and age our roads are being left in this condition. I’m originally from the Republic and people always said we had some of the worst roads but now I think that the tables have turned. In the ten years that I have lived on the area I have watched the road deteriorate more and more,” he added.       

Unfortunately for residents, it seems that major works to repair the damage caused by the harsh weather and heavy loads in the long-term are some way off. 

In response to the complaint, a TransportNI spokesperson said: “TransportNI is aware of the defects on the Derrylin to Lisnaskea Road, however, they are not currently considered to be a high priority compared to other works required in the area. The road is inspected every three months and any defects are recorded and prioritised for repair accordingly.” 

Lisnaskea-based SDLP councillor Richie McPhillips says he is aware of the issues with the roads in the area:   

“I have been in contact with Roads Service NI some 12 months past because of the very poor road surface on this road. Residents in the Clonog Valley houses just off the Derrylin Road out of Lisnaskea have also complained to me about the excessive road noise from the big articulate lorries as they pass at all times of the day.

“The same situation pertains at the link road at Drumbroughas North where again the houses in Rathowen, Lisnaskea along the road shake as the HGV’s pass. I am contacting Roads Service NI again to speed up some resolution of both situations,” he added.