Cllr Patrick McGowan has demanded immediate action to tackle pot-holed roads across the Stranorlar area.
Cllr McGowan has been lobbying roads management recently to offer overtime to roads crews as the evenings are getting brighter and on Saturday until the crises in our roads has been satisfactorily dealt with.
He said “I welcome a recent response from the local roads office that there is a good possibility of temporary workers being hired to help catch with the potholes and drainage works but drivers are at breaking point when it comes to road.
“Many roads in the Stranorlar MD have deteriorated since the beginning of the year due to a number of factors including prolonged snow/frost/rain and given the altitude of this MD it tends to get the brunt of the snow/frost.
“There have been added problems with the ongoing maintenance of the N15 especially in Ballybofey & Stranorlar main streets up towards Cappry.
“The Council has been in discussions with the NRO in relation to the N15 and I understand an emergency funding application is being finalised by them in relation to the Twin Towns Main Street.
“In the interim the Area staff are monitoring this road regularly and pothole repairs are prioritised on it as the need arises.
“A number of planned footpath improvement works and other DCS works have been suspended for the next number of weeks in order to put additional staff on maintenance works, given the large number of complaints of potholes across the MD.
“I have also been advised that the Council would be carrying out early surfacing of the storm-damaged roads to reduce maintenance and confirmed that contracts have commenced.
The decision on additional resources including staff and machinery will be decided this week, is to be welcomed,” said Cllr McGowan
He said Claire McGeever, local roads manager, has committed to keeping the situation under review and acknowledge the large number of pothole complaints that elected members and staff are getting everyday.
He added that the recent Dail motion by Fianna Fáil deputies supported by SF demanding an increase in roads maintenance funding must be acted on by the Government.
“People are paying through the nose for car insurance , property tax , car tax, VRT , petrol , diesel vat and are expected to NCT their vehicles while all the time driving through pot holed roads , it has to stop and the Minister need to forget creating more congesting in Cities and start maintaining our existing roads,” said Cllr McGowan .
