County Council gets €3million for road upgrades
ADDITIONAL funding of €3million has been granted to Galway County Council to address flooding and road safety issues on national roads.
Allocated by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the investment will enable the local authority to progress with a targeted programme of works that addresses defects, enhances road safety and improves the overall condition and resilience of national roads throughout the county.
The funding will allow the County Council to look at flooding issues in North Galway locations such as Anbally on the N83 and Abbeyknockmoy on the N63, and address pavement failures on routes including the N17, the N84 and the N65.
There are four elements to the programme of works, each of which will receive funding. The 'HD28 Safety Scheme' targets sections of road where skid resistance has fallen below acceptable levels and will get €2.191million, the largest slice of the funding.
'Defects grants' supports 14 schemes addressing issues such as flooding, pavement deterioration and footpath repairs, and is to be given €482,000 in funding. The 'Emergency Pavement Scheme' focuses on works that address defects such as rutting, cracking and reduced performance on the N59 east of Clifden, will be given €277,000; while €50,000 will go to 'Retrofitting of Fencing' to upgrade roadside safety barriers, and put in fencing to reduce risk and improve roadside protection.
Senior Executive Engineer for Galway County Council, John Coyle, said that the funds represent a significant investment in the safety and resilience of Galway’s national road network.
“Continued investment of this nature is essential to ensure that our roads remain safe, efficient and fit for purpose,” Coyle said.
The programme aims to tackle high-risk locations that have been identified using routine inspections and the Defect Management System (DMS).
Works under the programme are expected to progress over the coming months, as a number of contracts have already been tendered and ready to proceed.