O’Reilly Welcomes Quick Repair By Roads Officials

Dominic O’Reilly praises Roads Department officials for quick pothole repair

SDLP Mournes’ area representative Dominic O’Reilly has praised the “swift action” of Department for Infrastructure Roads officials in addressing a significant pothole along the Ballagh Road.

He said: “Following contact from a number of people who were concerned about the significant pothole along the Ballagh Road, I visited the site and saw first hand the impact it was having for people making the journey to Newcastle.  

“The size and depth of the pothole alone were significant, however, there was an added drainage issue in a field that was creating a lot of surface water, which made the pothole difficult to see on the road surface.

“It was also causing cars to aquaplane when they hit the pothole.

“Cllr Laura Devlin and I immediately got in touch with the DFI Roads team for the area, and highlighted the issue on social media and alerted DfI on this issue.

“I have to say, the response from DfI was remarkable. That same evening a team was on site, and addressed the issue. I really want to thank them for this swift action as this pothole could have created real damage to vehicles on what is a constantly busy route for drivers and for cyclists.

“We do need to be aware of the fact that we are seeing more extreme weather events due to the undeniable impact of climate change.”

Dominic Reilly added: “Whether it is higher tides and the impact they have on coastal roads like the Ballagh Road, or heavier rain which impacts our fields, there has never been a more important time to have a government in place to ensure our infrastructure is ready to meet such environmental challenges.”