The Moy Road on the outskirts of Armagh has been labelled unfit for purpose and “an accident waiting to happen” as concerns grow over its deteriorating condition.
Serious fears are being raised about the stretch from the Drumcairn Road junction down to the Blackwatertown Road junction, which is said to be “riddled with potholes” and “completely unfit” for the volume of traffic it carries.
Armagh SDLP councillor Thomas O’Hanlon said the situation has now become critical and called for urgent, substantial repairs rather than “patch‑ups, promises or photo‑ops”.
“This is not a minor back road,” he said. “The Moy Road is a vital trunk route, linking east and west, and carrying commuters, heavy vehicles and local traffic every single day. Its current condition is unacceptable.”
In some sections, he warned, the surface is so poor that drivers are being forced into dangerous manoeuvres to avoid damage to their vehicles.
“In some sections the surface is so bad that motorists are left with no option but to swerve into the opposite side of the road or onto the hard shoulder,” he said. “When you meet oncoming traffic at those points, the situation becomes genuinely frightening. It is an accident waiting to happen.”
He added that while regular users have learned to anticipate the worst sections, anyone unfamiliar with the route – particularly at night or in bad weather – is effectively “driving blind”.
“People should not have to rely on local knowledge to survive a journey on a main road,” he said.
Cllr O’Hanlon also hit out at what he described as a widening gap between official claims of investment in road infrastructure and the reality faced by motorists.
“Motorists are angry. They hear repeated claims about investment and improvement in our road infrastructure, yet what they see on the ground is neglect, delay, and dangerous deterioration,” he said.
“The Minister is deluded if she thinks people believe what is being said. Her party colleagues are tripping over themselves to heap praise on the Minister when a pothole is repaired or they show up after a job is actually completed. People aren’t stupid, but they are fed up with the excuses and fed up with dithering.
“The Moy Road needs urgent, meaningful repairs – not patch‑ups, not promises or photo‑ops.”
