Crescent Link to be resurfaced outside fire station within six months due to ‘poor condition’

The Department for Infrastructure confirmed the schedule for works in response to a query from Foyle MLA Mark H. Durkan who raised concerns about the ‘rapidly deteriorating road surface in the area’.

“Due to additional funding which Derry & Strabane Section have received recently, the portion of A514 Crescent Link across the frontage of the Fire Station will be resurfaced within the next six months.

“The existing high friction surfacing which is in relatively poor condition will be milled out and replaced in hot rolled asphalt and chippings with a high polished stone value. This material will provide similar skid resistance and should be more durable.

“In the meantime, we shall continue to inspect this portion of Crescent Link and address any defects that meet the current threshold for repair,” DfI stated.

Mr. Durkan said: “I’m pleased that after asking DfI Roads to reassess the area that essential road maintenance works will be delivered for this section of road outside Crescent Link Fire Station.

“This area has, like many other road networks across the city, has fallen in to a state of disrepair. This particular route is heavily used not only by commuters but also emergency services; it's important that the road network in the area is maintained to a decent standard.”

The Foyle MLA is also lobbying for the resurfacing of the Strand Road.

“The Department has been woefully and historically underfunded making it difficult for staff on the ground to carry out necessary works. The recent investment of £19m in road maintenance across the North, will be as much a relief to them as it will to all road users.

“It’s important that Derry gets its fair share of that funding and I’ve sought further clarity on the desperately needed resurfacing of the Strand Road,” he said.

The Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd recently confirmed to Mr. Durkan, by way of an answer to a Written Assembly Question, that ‘there is no set threshold that a trunk road has to meet to be considered for resurfacing’.

"Rather, in the absence of a fully funded allocation for the structural maintenance programme, my Department aims to prioritise decisions and interventions on the basis of the indicators outlined above as well as on the professional engineering judgements of our local engineers,” he stated.

He confirmed how under Article 8 of the Roads (Northern Ireland) Order 1993, DfI has ‘a statutory duty to maintain all public roads in a safe and serviceable condition and an annual programme of resurfacing and reconstruction works is undertaken, the extent of which is dictated by the availability of funding’.

He added: “On trunk roads, information is routinely gathered and analysed from a variety of specialist machine surveys and visual inspections, and this information is used in order to help inform decisions regarding annual maintenance programmes.

"Programmes are subject to continual review, taking into account a wide range of factors, for example, worsening condition of other roads, planned works by utilities, additional in year funding, contractor capacity etc.”

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