Potholes and other surface defects are more likely to appear due to severe weather conditions
Around 49,000 defects have been recorded on Northern Ireland roads in the last three months alone, it has been revealed.
The Infrastructure Minister said this is close to half the total for the whole previous year, with recent severe weather taking their toll on the roads network.
In addition to the 40 resurfacing schemes announced after the Minister’s December Monitoring allocation, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has launched a £7.85million Winter Recovery Road Fund to tackle the impact of recent severe weather conditions have had across our network.
READ MORE: Controversial flashing illuminations at Gospel Hall approved despite warningsREAD MORE: Minister announces £150million plan to help homes reduce heating bills
Minister Kimmins said: “I am all too aware that the recent storms, prolonged rainfall, ice and snow have all taken their toll on our roads, and I have been working to identify and secure funding to address the problem. Today, I can confirm that I have established a £7.85million Winter Recovery Road Fund to allow an urgent and direct focus on repairing the surface defects which are causing the most concern.
“The winter period has taken a severe toll on the road network. To put the current situation in context, 49,000 defects have been recorded in the last three months alone, which is close to half the total for the whole of the previous year.
“Given the scale of the damage caused, it is not possible to address every issue in the short-term. However, in addition to securing the additional funding being announced today, I have also asked my officials to also explore every avenue to maximise our available workforce capacity to ensure we are doing as much as we can as quickly as possible.
“I am committed to doing all I can to improve our roads and the Winter Recovery Road Fund will allow vital repairs to the worst affected areas to be carried out in a focused way and completed as soon as possible.”
Potholes and other surface defects on the roads are more likely to happen at this time of year. When it rains, water enters small cracks and freeze–thaw cycles expand and break apart the surface. Heavy or prolonged rain damages the underlying layers, reducing a roads load‑bearing capacity leading to potholes, rutting, and surface deformation.
Flooding can also erode sub‑base materials, damage embankments, and block drainage systems, creating long‑term water damage. Adverse weather speeds up both surface wear and structural fatigue, increasing maintenance needs and reducing the lifespan of the road.
Speaking on other measures to help the condition of our roads, the Minister continued: “I want to raise the standard of maintenance across the network, ensuring that interventions are timely, durable, and delivered to consistently high specifications. I launched the new Road Maintenance Strategy in December which recently closed for public consultation and I hope that people took the opportunity to respond.”
The Minister concluded: “The Winter Recovery Road Fund will allow additional repairs on the worst of our weather-impacted roads. This short-term boost is coupled with the longer-term strategy that will provide greater detail to inform strategic decision making.
“This will also continue to be supported by the ongoing reporting of potholes and surface defects via the online portal and I encourage the public to do this. Maintenance staff will continue to inspect and make-safe defects by working to address the highest priority defects as fast as possible, in accordance with our policy to ensure the safety of the travelling public.”
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.