The pothole in County Tyrone was so deep a man could stand waist deep in it and despite numerous attempts to fill it the tarmac kept sinking
Britain’s worst pothole – so deep a man stood waist deep in it – has finally been filled in as part of a £160,000 road makeover.
Councillor Malachy Quinn – who shared a photo of himself standing in the hole – said Ferry Road in County Tyrone, NI, had been a problem for 40 years. But despite numerous attempts to fill the hole, the tarmac simply disappeared, as the road was laid on an unstable peat bog and it kept sinking.
He lobbied the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) multiple times, but over and over again, the tarmac simply sank. Desperate Malachy then shared a picture of himself standing in the pothole – which went viral on social media.
After sharing the photo online and meeting with DFI officials, Councillor Quinn was given the good news – £160,000 had been set aside to resurface 500 metres of Ferry Road. Work began at the end of September, and after a five week closure, the road reopened – pothole free.
He said: “Councillors and DFI members have been talking about this road as far back as the 70s. It’s a country road built on a bog. There’s a lot of locals, a lot of businesses, a lot of agricultural vehicles and lorries driving down it. When you were driving down that road previously, your car could have been at a 120 degree angle, because it was that uneven.
“There are two six-foot drops on either side – and the famous pothole that I was standing in. I could put my foot in it one year, then it was nearly up to my knee the next year, and then it got that bad that I was able to slide myself into it – and I’m six foot!”
Malachy added: “I got a bit of publicity and managed to bring a bit of attention to the issue. Thankfully, it wasn’t too long afterwards that we had a meeting with DFI officials. Eventually, they got back to me and said they had £160,000 and were going to do something. 500 metres of the road was completely scraped back and a new surface laid on top of it – and it looks in pristine condition. Now the road is absolutely perfect.”
The resurfacing was followed by an announcement on Tuesday 2 December, where Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins outlined new government plans to keep up with road maintenance. A network of survey vehicles with cameras attached will be sent out on roads across Northern Ireland, mapping the country’s roads and road surface conditions – which will then be monitored and used to keep track of and prioritise roadworks.
Councillor Quinn welcomed the news, adding: “Theoretically, this can lead to quicker fix times and doesn’t rely on the public reporting potholes. I have to say, it sounds fabulous. I have my doubts, but I’m waiting with baited breath to see what the results are. Ferry Road was an exaggerated case, but there are so many roads in my local area, and around Northern Ireland, that need repair.”
