‘Biblical’ rainfall destroys roads

Local calls have been made for increased government funding to repair roads that have become dangerously damaged by the prolonged rainfall of recent months.

Tipperary TD Alan Kelly this week sounded alarm over the “perilous state of local and regional roads across the country”. He said the condition of many roads is now so bad that they pose a danger to those driving on them.

Mindful that Tipperary had Ireland's highest number of road fatalities last year, Deputy Kelly's sentiment was reflected by several speakers at last Monday’s meeting of Tipperary Co Council.

Cllr John Carroll suggested that the local authority should seek extra government funding to deal with the amount of damaged infrastructure in the county. He regretted that so many recently improved roads are showing signs of serious disrepair again.

In support, Cllr Michael O'Meara said enhanced funding is needed to repair the destruction caused by the “biblical amounts of rain” since last summer.

Cllr Michael Fitzgerald also supported the move: “If we do nothing else today, we should try and get more funding,” he told the meeting.

He said it does not look good for the council to be carrying out “hit and miss” patching of damaged roads, because it does not have the resources to patch the whole road. While everyone hopes for an improvement in the weather, the damage to the worst-classified ‘Red Roads’ - which the council had previously been getting on top of - is a serious cause for concern, Cllr Fitzgerald said.

‘HORRENDOUS’ WEATHER

Cllr John Rocky McGrath agreed that it is a “pity” to see the good work carried out by the council in recent years now being undone. But he described the weather as “horrendous”, and the condition it has left some roads in means motorists have to drive very slowly in order to avoid damaging their vehicles.

Cllr McGrath was particularly concerned at the state of forestry roads around Rearcross, where he said Coillte should be compensating the council over the use of trucks carrying heavy loads of timber on roads never intended for such use.

Cllr Roger Kennedy said the council needs extra funding and also a sustained spell of dry weather. He said tarmac should be used to fill potholes as it is the only material that will not dislodge in wet weather.

Cllr Phyll Bugler spoke of the problem of new potholes appearing across the county over the winter, including in housing estates, while Cllr David Dunne wanted the council to write to the minister over ash dieback in trees located beside roadways. “This is a matter of life and death,” he told the meeting. “Someone is going to be killed.”

Cllr John Crosse said the council did not receive enough funding in “normal circumstances”. “We've had about 10 months of constant rain; we're not living in normal circumstances,” he opined.

Cllr Ger Darcy spoke of the challenges facing the farming community as a result of the bad weather. He mentioned the impending increase in activity in silage, milk and tillage, and said rural Ireland could not function without a good roads infrastructure.

ROAD SAFETY OFFICER

Cllr Mark Fitzgerald said Tipperary Co Council should have a designated road safety officer, particularly in light of the number of the number of road fatalities last year - 16, the highest in the country. He said there were also numerous serious injury collisions and families have been “devastated”.

Director of Services Liam Brett said the council has a part-time officer with responsibility for road safety. Their work is similar to the that of the Road Safety Authority in that they visit schools and promote road safety campaigns; the council does not have the resources to put this position on a full-time footing.

Mr Brett said the passed winter has created an extremely difficult situation for roads maintenance. “Phenomenal” volumes of rain have fallen and, while the county network was improving in recent years, it has now suffered another setback, Mr Brett confirmed.

He said the council would write to the Dept of Transport to seek additional funding. He also made the point that the council has one of the most modern fleets of velocity patchers in the country. A sustained break in the weather would enable the council to get a lot of road improvement work done, Mr Brett said.

‘CRUMBLING BEFORE OUR EYES’

In his statement, Deputy Kelly said motorists are braving “treacherous” road conditions on a daily basis.

“It’s not just inconvenient; it’s a matter of life and death,” he exclaimed. “The recent spate of bad weather has only compounded the problem, leaving roads in a state of disrepair that endangers those who travel on them.

“The government’s failure to provide adequate funding for road maintenance is a dereliction of duty. Our local councils are being forced to stretch already thin budgets to cover the costs of repairs, leaving essential services underfunded and communities isolated.

“The time for political posturing is over,” Deputy Kelly affirmed. “We need action, and we need it now. The government must wake up to the reality that local and regional roads are crumbling before our eyes.

“We cannot continue to ignore this disaster while driver safety hangs in the balance.”