NRA seeks local authority help over service area plans

THE National Roads Authority (NRA) has sought help from local authority managers in a bid to rescue plans to provide serviced rest stops along the country’s emerging motorway network.

Its chief executive, Fred Barry, said the NRA had been directed by Transport Minister Noel Dempsey not to spend any Government money building the long awaited service areas.

As an alternative the NRA has written to county managers to let them know of the situation.

Mr Barry said the NRA wanted to see if there were private sector alternatives until money is freed up.

This strategy has sought to identify privately owned sites adjacent to motorways which may be able to meet the resting requirements.

This would provide a stop-gap until the NRA was allowed to spend money developing its original plans.

However, Mr Barry said the NRA was not aware if any responses have been received by the relevant local authorities because these would be submitted directly to the councils.

Mr Barry said on the basis of its discussions with the department it was not going to be given money to build the new service areas until the economic situation improves.

“It is not a prohibition on funding forever. It is prohibition in the current economic circumstances,” he said.

Fine Gael’s transport spokesman Fergus O’Dowd criticised Mr Barry for not sharing the full content of his meetings with Mr Dempsey.

Mr O’Dowd said he believed the NRA has serious safety concerns regarding the minister’s cost-cutting policy and Mr Barry should advocate these.

He also said it was a major safety issue when motorists on the country’s primary road arteries could not rest and recuperate during long journeys.

Mr Barry was appearing before the Oireachtas committee on transport where he was asked to calm fears over the integrity of the new M3 motorway through Meath.

Fine Gael’s Shane McEntee looked for an independent report on the presence of pyrite in material used to build the new road.

Mr McEntee said pyrite had caused two houses in Meath to explode, because the substance was present in excessive quantities and reacted with water and other construction material.

Mr Barry said the NRA was confident all its in-fill was properly tested. Where structures involving concrete and steel were used pyrite would not be present in levels which would raise alarm.