Louth roads face pothole crisis as storm damage mounts

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

The impact of storm conditions in January, combined with repeated weather warnings for heavy rain and strong winds, has left roads waterlogged and vulnerable, particularly along the Louth coastline. At the February meeting of Ardee Municipal District, officials warned that the deterioration of road surfaces would result in “hundreds and hundreds” of potholes in the coming weeks.

The meeting itself was held online due to a Status Orange rainfall warning, with councillors highlighting a number of urgent road safety concerns in the Ardee area.

Cllr Jim Tenanty drew attention to what he described as a “large sinkage” on Market Street, outside a busy Spar shop, and called for it to be urgently assessed. He also raised concerns about the condition of a cul-de-sac at Mullenstown Cottages, describing the road surface as “atrocious”.

“So bad was the condition of the road that an ambulance was unable to reach a local resident who is very ill,” he said.

Cllr Dolores Minogue said Sean O’Carroll Street is “in a very bad state with potholes”, adding that the problem is widespread throughout the town.

“The whole town is covered in potholes. I don’t know how we are going to fix it,” she told the meeting.

Mark Johnston, Senior Engineer with Louth County Council, said the local authority is aware of the sinkage on Market Street and confirmed that repairs are scheduled. However, he explained that resources have been stretched as crews focus on preventing flooding.

The council’s ‘Pothole Pro’ machine, which is normally used for rapid pothole repairs, has instead been deployed to clear drains and keep water off roads.

“That’s all we have been doing – trying to keep drains open and water off roads,” he said. “But it will be in Ardee over the next month to repair potholes there.”

Mr Johnston warned that February is expected to be the worst month for pothole formation.

“With the wet weather, water lying on roads and heavy traffic, we will have over one thousand potholes by the end of February to fix,” he said.

He also explained that local tertiary roads, such as cul-de-sacs, are not prioritised under the council’s roads budget.

“We have to spend the money where it is most needed, on the heaviest trafficked roads like regional roads,” he said, adding that while some locations may qualify for basic patching or a Community Involvement Scheme, funding for such works is limited.