Bridge repairs will continue to be a priority for inclusion in contracts for 2017, the Council’s director of services for roads, Tom Stritch, said recently.
BRIDGE repairs will continue to be a priority for inclusion in contracts for 2017, the Council’s director of services for roads, Tom Stritch, said recently.
Mr Stritch confirmed recently that Atkins Consultants carried out inspections on 53 national road bridges in the county, of which 20 were associated with the N71.
Mr Stritch added that a huge portion of the demands placed on the Council’s resources in terms of road and bridge repairs have been completed.
However, at a meeting of the Western Committee of Cork County Council in Clonakilty recently, the councillors stressed the need for a bigger budget to meet the everyday demands of footpath and road repairs throughout West Cork.
‘Every town needs resurfacing,’ said Cllr Mary Hegarty (FG). ‘Most of the complaints we have to deal with are in respect of the condition of our roads.’
Mr Stritch referred to a completed project in the Borlin Valley where a mudslide made the road inaccessible to residents for a number of days. ‘That just needs some landscaping and it will be done when the weather dries out,’ he added.
He said construction projects carried out by McGinty and O’Shea Ltd at the Caherkeen Bridge and Clashduff Bridge in Bantry, as well as Kilbrittain Bridge and Kilmacsimon Bridge in Bandon, and the overflow Bandon River Bridge in Enniskeane, are substantially complete.
Cumnor Construction completed works at Gurteen Bridge and Maulnaskehy Bridge in Bantry, as well as the following three bridges in Dunmanway: Inchincurka, Shanlaragh, and Kilronane Bridge.
The Barleycove causeway bridge was also successful completed and the road reopened, while the Cousane West Bridge and Gortnascreeny Bridge in Bantry, as well as Maulnaskeha in Skibbereen and Coppeen Bridge and Kilronane Bridge in Dunmanway have been completed.
Other projects at the Post Office Bridge in Ballinspittle and Castlecove Embankment in Kinsale were finalised. And the Dunmore Road embankment project in Clonakilty is nearing completion – with just snags to be finalised.
Mr Stritch said additional spending in the sum of €72,400 would be spent on Black Cross Bridge in Innishannon in April, and €20,850 would be spent on improving Rathruane Bridge in Ballydehob.
Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy (FF) said: ‘The storm damage caused a lot of problems a couple of years ago but the Council has done a huge amount of work in a short time.’
