OVER 85,000 defects, including potholes, were recorded on North of Ireland’s roads in the past 12 months.
And two of those roads in Derry make the top ten which have some 164 defects between them.
The Department for Infrastructure says “historic underinvestment” has made it difficult to solve the problem.
The current annual budget for roads maintenance is £96m, and the minister has bid for £120m in the 2021-2022 budget.
However, auditors have estimated more than £1bn is needed to bring the road network up to standard.
Figures released to BBC News NI under the Freedom of Information Act reveal a total of 85,983 defects were recorded in 2020 across all roads across the North of Ireland.
The third highest road with 92 defects in the North is the Ardlough Road, from Drumahoe Road to Rossdowney Road.
The tenth worst road with 72 defects is Derry’s Victoria Road, from Craigavon Bridge to Prehen Road.
The worst road in the North is the Fathom Line with 125 defects, which links Newry with the border on the shores of Carlingford Lough.
The Department for Infrastructure said there was a rolling programme of maintenance and repair across the roads network.
“All roads across Northern Ireland are inspected on a regular basis with all defects which meet the department’s current intervention criteria being recorded and prioritised for repair,” they said.
Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon had made clear she wanted to do more to improve the condition of the road network for all users, the department added.
“However, she is constrained by the level of funding available and continues to stress to executive colleagues the need for investment in roads infrastructure to help address regional imbalance, promote sustainable travel, help communities and improve safety.”
“The minister made a bid for £11m for roads in June and did not receive an allocation.”
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