NRA: No upgrade for road that claimed 10 lives

THE National Roads Authority is refusing to provide money for the upgrade of a dangerous road in Co Cork which has claimed the lives of 10 people in recent years.

The authority itself identified the Mallow to Castletownroche section of the N72 as a priority project as far back as 1998.

It then reiterated that in a report published in 2006.

The national secondary route features a number of bends in that area which a senior council engineer described as “very dangerous”.

A local woman was the latest person to lose her life on the road after her car was in collision with a truck last October.

Senior executive engineer, Aidan Weir, said he was “very disappointed” with news that the NRA wouldn’t fund realignment works that have been estimated at €35 million.

The road is one of the main arteries between Cork and Kerry and 3,000 vehicles use it every day, 11% of which are lorries.

On hearing the news, a number of county councillors expressed their anger.

Cllr Tom Barry (FG) claimed NRA officials were totally out of touch, especially as so many deaths had occurred on the 10km stretch.

“The NRA needs to get up off their posteriors in Dublin 4 and travel south to north Cork and see the appalling condition of the road. The people responsible for this reply are wasting valuable public service time and offering poor value for money,” he said.

Cllr Barry said the state of the road was also hindering regional development and claimed the NRA was “completely out of touch”.

Cllr Noel O’Connor (FG) said there was “a serious health and safety issue” on the road and major money was needed to rectify that.

Cllr Ronan Sheehan (Lab) said it was time councillors sought a meeting with TDs in the region to get them to exert pressure on the Government and the NRA to release the necessary funding.

“This is a serious issue. I think it’s the worst national secondary road in Ireland. It’s also ridiculous for the Government to call Mallow a hub town when it is served by such a road,” Mr Sheehan added.

Cllr Frank O’Flynn (FF) agreed with him and added that N73 linking Mitchelstown to Mallow was also a disgrace. “The economic development of Fermoy, Mallow and Mitchelstown also depend on these roads. We should seek a deputation with the NRA,” Mr O’Flynn said.

His FF colleague, Cllr Dan Joe Fitzgerald, said he was very disappointed the roads authority wouldn’t release funding.

“People travelling it (the N72) are entitled to a safer road,” he said.

Councillors are to write to the NRA seeking a meeting to discuss the issue.