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Gallagher: One in 187 just not good enough

SDLP Regional Development spokesperson Tommy Gallagher said unless the Executive invests now, the state of our roads will deteriorate beyond a point of no return.

Thu 3rd December

Speaking after a meeting of the Assembly Regional Development Committee in Enniskillen today, he said:

 

“We learned some startling facts from senior Roads Service personnel. Given the current budget,  resurfacing of our minor roads will happen  once in every 187 years.  These minor roads make up 15,000 kilometres of the Northern Ireland total of 25,000 kilometers of road, 60% of our total road network on which the vast bulk of our rural population depends every day.

 

“And even trunk roads are suffering: in my own county of Fermanagh 49% of the trunk road network has a residual life of less than five years.  DRD is now spending almost as much on patching as it is on structural maintenance. For the year 08-09 the total spend on structural maintenance of all roads was £24 million and a further £19 million was spent on patching – a very short-term measure.

 

“We are heading for a roads disaster which will have a major negative impact on our economy, not to mention road safety. Even in a recession, roads must have a higher funding priority for the good of our whole society. The Executive cannot make the economy our big thing while at the same time ignoring the crisis for our entire roads structure.”

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