With just weeks to go to the grand opening of the new N5 road between Castlebar and Westport, councillors in the county town have complained that service roads impacted by the construction works have been left in a terrible state, with one suggesting that more people than ever will end up using the old road.
Cllr Donna Sheridan raised the matter at the Castlebar MD meeting on Wednesday where she said: "You would want to see the absolute state that Castlebar Rugby Club has been left in by the contractors, who have used this road, which they closed off on both the Ballinrobe and Westport sides, while contractor trucks and machinery were also parking in their carpark. The new bridge is certainly beautiful, but the road, which very visibly on google maps was perfect before, is now an absolute disgrace. Out to the bridge is like a highway but the rest is terrible."
She continued: "There are 420 members in Castlebar Rugby Club and they have met with Wills Bam (contractor Wills Bam JV ) on this, who promised something would be done, but nothing has. I wonder have we paid everything to Wills BAM in advance, because we cannot have companies coming in and leaving our roads in a state. Enough is enough. The people of our communities should not be suffering adversely after the new road is built and we have to do something about it."
She added that members have tried to consult with the road contractors - as had she with the council, to no avail, adding: "It's about time somebody stands up and if it is the 420 members and myself that have to protest at the opening of this new road, so be it. We don’t want to but it is a disgrace."
Cllr Ger Deere agreed, saying: "This was my big fear when contractors moved off site, the condition the service roads are left in. In Islandeady, they are still not repaired; the Cloggernagh road, it was bad before this but it is now like going through a war-torn area. It must be taken care of before the contractors go."
He added that if an accident occurs on the new dual carriageway, the new motorway will have to be closed off between roundabouts because no hard shoulder has been included. "It's a strange setup, it could be just a bale of hay that closes it down. The council was also told it will have to close it when gritting. I think the old road will be used more than ever."
Cathaoirleach Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said it was Transport Infrastructure Ireland that 'was supposed to be funding it', adding: "We all know the TII is a nightmare to deal with."
Cllr Blackie Gavin said he had been informed that the roads in Islandeady had to be fixed by the contractor and not the council - "But they never went back to repair it, there was craters left, it is diabolical and not good enough. As Cllr Sheridan said, with Castlebar Rugby Club, you can’t get up or down the road now."
Cllr Cyril Burke said there were also issues on the road into Annagh on the Westport road, following the new road works. "These roads are being damaged, it is absolutely ridiculous. We know these people are liable to make mistakes", he said, referencing a recent case of a public official having to resign after a new multi-million train tunnel was found not to be wide enough for the trains.
In response to a proposal by Cllr Sheridan that a representative from Wills BAM be brought in to answer to the local authority, Cathaoirleach Cllr Michael Kilcoyne stated that councillors could attend an arranged meeting with the contractors in Islandeady on Wednesday next at 3.30pm, where they could put any question they liked to them. Cllr Sheridan requested that the contractor representatives also be requested to attend at Castlebar Rugby Club directly afterwards, to address the road damage issues there.
