Potholes in Derry: Protest over ‘disgraceful’ Northland Road

PBP Councillor for the area, Shaun Harkin said they will continue to back residents and road users in their calls for the Department of Infrastructure to immediately implement a plan of action.

"This is a major issue throughout the City. Huge potholes are damaging cars on a daily basis. Cyclists are afraid to use the roads.”

The Foyleside Councillor laid the blame for the decrepit state of local roads on the Northern Ireland Executive parties in Stormont:

"These roads have not got into this state in a few months. The damage has been done over years. Those in charge of infrastructure in the Executive must shoulder the blame.

“Whether or not Stormont has any prospect of returning, department officials must act now.”

Colr. Harkin warned that the roads must not be allowed to deteriorate further and if allowed to do so would become “increasingly dangerous unless we begin to put up a public challenge."

Earlier this year it was confirmed that 7,076 pothole / defects reports were registered in the Derry and Strabane district last year, and while this may be down on 2021, it shows the sheer scale of the problem.

Recent government data, analysed by CompareNI.com, shows that of the 80,395 surface defects recorded on roads in 2022, a staggering 64,930 were related to potholes. Although this is a slight decrease from 2021, potholes are still causing widespread damage for drivers across the north.

Derry and Strabane had the second most recorded potholes in 2021 with over 9,200 reported in the area but this number decreased by 23% in 2022.

In October 2021 the Journal reported how 78 claims have already been lodged for damages caused by potholes in the previous 10 months of that year.

In recent years, Department for Infrastructure officials have said they are aware of widespread concerns over potholes in Derry, but that budget pressures had been impacting on maintenance. As far back as 2018 officials warned that they had been “operating in a challenging budgetary position for some time and this has been having an impact on all road maintenance activities and the condition of the road network”.