Road finally has emergency phones installed

THE National Roads Authority has been criticised for taking almost three years to install emergency phones on a motorway in Co Clare while the authority still stands accused of failing to complete the route to the “highest safety standards.”

The 32-kilometre stretch of the M18, comprising the Newmarket on Fergus and Ennis bypasses, which opened in 2002 and 2007 respectively, was upgraded to motorway status in September 2009.

In January 2010, when concerns were first raised about the lack of the vital emergency equipment, the roads authority confirmed: “Phones will be installed on the M18 and all retro fitting will be completed by autumn of 2010.”