To: Department for infrastructure

Fix our roads now! Newry & surrounding areas

To the Department for Infrastructure Northern Ireland:

We, the residents, commuters, and businesses of Newry, Mourne, and Down, are calling for urgent, direct action to repair and resurface the deteriorating road network across Newry and its surrounding rural and urban areas.

For too long, motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians in our community have had to navigate dangerous potholes, severe surface cracking, degraded verges, and inadequate drainage. The current state of our roads is not only causing significant financial damage to vehicles through blown tires and broken suspension, but it also poses a serious safety hazard to everyone using the local transport network.

While we acknowledge the ongoing challenges around budget constraints and maintenance backlogs, temporary "quick-fix" patch jobs are failing. Weathering and heavy traffic routinely cause these patches to crumble within weeks, wasting taxpayer money and leaving local drivers to foot the bill for ongoing vehicle repairs.

We respectfully call on the Department for Infrastructure to:

Conduct an Immediate Emergency Assessment: Prioritise an inspection of key commuter corridors and rural feeder routes in Newry and surrounding areas to target critical safety hazards.
Commit to Long-Term Resurfacing: Shift away from temporary, single-pothole patching in high-risk zones toward proper, full-depth resurfacing and structural repairs.
Provide Transparent Schedules: Publish clear, accessible timelines for scheduled maintenance and road repairs within the Newry, Mourne and Down District area so residents can see where funding is being deployed.

The roads in and around Newry are vital for local commerce, cross-border trade, and daily travel. We urge the DfI to take immediate responsibility and allocate the resources required to restore our local road network to a safe, sustainable standard.

Why is this important?

The roads across Newry and surrounding local areas have reached an unacceptable state of neglect. Motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians are forced to deal with severe potholes, failing road surfaces, and dangerous driving conditions on a daily basis.

This isn't just an inconvenience—it’s costing local people real money in vehicle damage (blown tyres, damaged suspension, and broken alloys) during an already tight financial climate. More importantly, it creates major road safety hazards for families, commuters, delivery drivers, and emergency services trying to navigate our routes safely.

Temporary, single-pothole patch jobs are crumbling within weeks, wasting public funds and leaving our communities with a deteriorating road network. By signing this petition, we can send a strong, united message to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) that Newry and surrounding areas deserve proper, long-term resurfacing and a transparent maintenance plan.

Together, we can force real action and make our local roads safe again.