A ‘landslide’ along the Lough Shore Road in Enniskillen could have resulted in motorists “plummeting to their deaths”, a Fermanagh and Omagh District Councillor has claimed.
The slippage in the embankment caused by stormy weather meant water had been leaking into the soil along the A47 at Magho, a busy road between Enniskillen and Belleek, in December. 
The Department for Infrastructure say the site was monitored and in early January warnings signs and traffic cones were erected as the embankment had “encroached onto the road surface.”
SDLP Councillor John Coyle, who was contacted about the issue by one of his constituents, said he could see the land “sliding down to the edge of the road.”
“It was a danger to public safety. God forbid that a car was passing with the mud and stones and trees, motorists could have slid off the road, plummeting to their deaths,” he told this newspaper.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Infrastructure spokesperson said a member of its staff “observed a small movement in the embankment” on December 19.
“Repair work involved the removal of soil and the placement of stone filled gabions alongside the public road to retain the embankment and prevent any further slippage and this commenced on January 15 and was completed on January 26.
“The slippage in the embankment was largely caused by storm water which had left its normal watercourse and was leaking into the soil. The storm water has been returned to its original watercourse,” said the spokeswoman.
But Councillor Coyle, an Erne North representative, said “more work should be carried out” to ensure that the Lough Shore Road is “safe for motorists.”
“I am happy enough with what was done to fix this problem with the landslide but I believe another five to six metres should have been done as well.”
“It is vitally important that this road is maintained as it is renowned for dangerous driving conditions, there are sharp bends, there’s a big embankment and the weather over the last 12 months has been terrible,” he said.