Sean Lynch calls on Executive to ring-fence budget for roads maintenance due to seriously deteriorating and dangerous condition of roads in the county
THE state of Fermanagh’s neglected roads has become so poor they are driving away business and have even have become dangerous in places, it has been claimed.
With funding stretched, roads in the county have been falling into such a dilapidated state in some places there have been claims lives are being put in danger, such as in Roslea and at Teemore Cross.
Gerry Smyth, of Smyth Transport in Roslea, said the road into the village as well as its Main Street had fallen into a particularly bad state in recent months, with road surfaces elsewhere also deteriorating.
“The entrance to Roslea and the Main Street have become very bad, and it’s got a lot worse over the past couple of months,” he said.
“It seems to be just general wear and tear, and a lack of funding that is causing it. They put in ramps there, coming into Roslea, but the potholes are worse. You’re going over the ramps and the potholes at the same time. Even the grass and hedge cutting is falling away, way behind on some roads, which is very dangerous for big trucks.”
William Connolly of Connolly Road Freight in Lisnaskea said the state of the county’s roads was “certainly not helping things” but was similar across the North.
“In general, it seems to be because of a lack of upkeep,” said Mr Connolly, who added as a business “you just have to get on with it.”
“It’s hard on machinery and on fuel consumption, but you have to allow for the conditions. It doesn’t surprise me, we’re used to it now.”
MLA Sean Lynch has welcomed a commitment from Transport NI to resurface roads in Roslea over the summer, but called on the Executive to ring-fence funding for roads.
Calling the state of the road into Roslea “unacceptable”, Mr Lynch said it was “just one example” of poor road surfacing across the county which had been “exacerbated following the recent flooding.”
“No matter where I go in the county people are talking about the deplorable and dangerous state of the roads,” Mr Lynch said. “I see it for myself daily. Many of the main roads are in a poor condition and the minor roads are worse again.”
Also citing Teemore Cross as an example, which he said was vital to not only locals but to business and visitors to the county, Mr Lynch said “the current system for funding allocation to roads is wholly inadequate in terms of budget constraints.”
“Year on year the budget allocated to maintaining the road network has been reduced,” he said. “Over the term of the last Assembly mandate funding has been reduced to just over a quarter of what it was at the start of it. This is having a significant impact on the condition of our roads and ensuring that maintenance works are haphazard and reactionary rather than structured.”
Mr Lynch said the good conditioned roads were essential for attracting investment to an area, and poor roads had a “knock-on effect on business.”
He added: “The condition of roads is of safety concern in most areas. Poor roads are dangerous roads and my big concern would be that lives would be lost on our roads due to their poor quality.”
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