Pothole repair plans for Strathfoyle road in Derry welcomed by SDLP candidate

It follows lobbying to the Department for Infrastructure Permanent Secretary, Julie Harrison asking for this area to be prioritised.

Councillor Norris said: “I am pleased that this badly needed repair work has been agreed but frustrated that it will be another year before it will be carried out.

“The SDLP had requested remedial works for this area which had been carried out intermittently over the years. But despite the frequent repairs by diligent DfI operatives, problems persisted. I’m contacted on a regular basis by constituents about the poor condition of this road network.”

The Otterbank Road is littered with potholes and the band-aid approach to repairs is completely unsustainable.

"As such, we escalated this matter to the DfI Permanent Secretary and following inspection the department has agreed to properly address the road defects.”

Mr Norris said Otterbank has now been added to the surface dressing programme for summer 2024 which, he said, will improve the existing road surface, sealing and protecting it against water ingress and further deterioration.

"I’ve been advised that in the interim patching works will be carried out on the worst impacted portions of the carriageway.

“Properly addressing maintenance along this route will no doubt prove more cost effective in the long run. I will continue, alongside Mark H Durkan MLA, to push to ensure these works are carried out sooner.”