A STRETCH of road in Clabby that has at least five potholes, several cracks and a manhole which locals believe may soon collapse has been described by one resident as “like something from Beirut.” 
For wheelchair user Mary Elliott the road between Clabby and Fivemiletown has become problematic each time she wants to visit the shop or church or attend events at the church hall.
Mrs. Elliott, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis (MS), has been using a wheelchair for three years, and a motorised wheelchair for the past 12 months. The motorised wheelchair was supposed to make life easier for her but instead she has discovered how arduous crossing the road now is.
“It is difficult; the road and footpath need resurfaced,” she told The Impartial Reporter.
“There are numbers one to five on the chair and I usually go at speed five across the road but you wouldn’t do that here because there are too many bumps and holes and you could topple,” she said. 
Despite having lived in the village for 17 years, Mrs. Elliott says the condition of this particular stretch of road has worsened in recent times. When she needs to pick up some groceries she now has to wait for up to ten minutes before she feels it is safe to cross the road. 
“If you are going at a slower speed across the road in the wheelchair you have to watch the cars because they go very fast. I know to take my time and be safe.
“But the concern would be if you are crossing the road and you maybe make a mistake and topple. That’s what would worry me; that the chair would maybe hit a pothole and topple,” she said.
The 60 year old wants to see the road resurfaced by the Department for Infrastructure as a priority.
“I would like the pothole sorted as water lies there and I would like at least part of the road resurfaced and the footpath and any bits of filling in that is needed done,” she said.
Comparing the village on the Fermanagh/Tyrone Border to the war torn city does not come easy to those who only want the best for their area but when even the adjoining footpath is “full of bumps” residents such as David Elliott who first complained two years ago are running out of patience.
“I have raised this several times but nothing seems to be happening and the road and footpath seem to be getting worse,” he said. 
Mr. Elliott claims a manhole, reported to authorities almost a week ago, is about to collapse and says a flood has developed on the road with vehicles splashing floor water over entrances to homes.
He also says a crack measuring almost two to three foot wide and about four inches deep has emerged on the road.
“It is like something from Beirut,” Mr. Elliott told this newspaper. 
And he recalls two years ago that when a pothole appeared outside his home “which would have gone up to your ankle” there was a “no show by the authorities” and he had to fix it himself. 
“It’s unfortunate that you have to take matters into your own hands, but I didn’t want anyone falling and hurting themselves,” he said. Democratic Unionist Councillor Raymond Farrell said he shared the “frustration and anger” of Clabby residents. “It really is beyond the thinking of most of us as to why the [former] Finance Minister Mairtin O Muilleoir could at least have not presented a budget that would have allowed important services such as Transport NI to carry out and plan ahead in terms of service delivery such as is needed here in Clabby. The Fermanagh area is quite unique in that it does not have any motorway or dual carriage so we are very much dependent on rural roads to carry significant volumes of traffic and this is why I would argue that money is increased and protected for the rural counties such as here,” he said.
In response, a spokesman for Fermanagh and Omagh District Council said: “In general, while the Council is responsible for keeping the footpaths clean and clear of rubbish, the actual structural maintenance, condition and design of footpaths and roads are the responsibility of Transport NI. “
 The Department for Infrastructure, responsible for Transport NI, told this newspaper that a representative recently met with Mr. Elliott and an inspection of the area was carried out: “Work is due to be completed this week on some high priority potholes identified. Other defects are lower priority and will be considered for future work programmes subject to funding. In relation to the manhole, the relevant contractor has been notified about its condition and traffic cones have been put in place to warn the public until such a time as repairs have been carried out.”