Mid Ulster councillor gets '˜the hump' over undoing of '˜free improvements' to '˜dangerous' road

Loughmallon Road was closed at the beginning of 2016, so NIE Networks could carry out cable work, while a private company also used the road to deliver parts for a wind farm.

According to Mr Mallaghan the energy company resurfaced and widened the road, while smoothing out its hills to improve access for “very long vehicles”.

But now that all the parts have been delivered, the works - which in his opinion massively improved the road - have been undone.

Exasperated by the move, Sinn Fein’s Cathal Mallaghan has joined with Omagh-based representative Barry McNally in voicing his outrage.

He said: “We are told all the time that we benefit from green energy and the new infrastructure it brings to rural communities. However, here we have an example where our local roads have been taken over for months, road infrastructure improved and then made dangerous again.

“It’s an absolute waste of time and money.

“Visibility is very difficult here and the removal of the road heights was very welcome. It’s in comprehensible that this could happen.”

In response a DfI spokesperson said: “It would not have been possible to maintain the existing road width and improve the vertical alignment without interfering with third party land either on a temporary or permanent basis.

“This stretch of road is now capable of carrying two way traffic again and the length of road affected by the temporary works has been resurfaced at the energy company’s expense.”