Mid Ulster the land of dangerous giant potholes?

Last year, a staggering 8071 potholes and cracks were repaired on ruptured and crumbling roads in the local district, just behind Newry and Mourne’s total of 8139, which was the highest in the North.

The figures, which were released by the Department of Regional Development, suggest that Mid Ulster’s rural roads are deteriorating at one of the fastest rates in the North.

Cavernous potholes as large as four-feet wide have been reported on local roads, prompting fears that buses and lorries, as well as cars, could be forced off the road by the tarmac traps.

According to the figures, Ards and North Down appear to have the best roads in the region, with only 1938 potholes and defects needing fixed last year.

After Mid Ulster, Armagh, Craigavon and Banbridge district had the next highest total of pothole repairs at 7766.

According to motoring experts, the typical kind of suspension damage from a pothole has an average repair cost of £250 (although it can be more than ten times that).

It is feared that not enough has been spent investing in Mid Ulster’s roads, many of which are trunk roads carrying large volumes of cars and lorries.

DUP Councillor Clement Cuthbertson has called on Roads Service to tackle urgent road repairs.