Calls for more work on Kerry road
The 170km Ring of Kerry winds its way through cliff tops and valleys and is travelled by at least a million visitors, many in coaches, each year. But, apart from improvements to relatively short stretches of the road, it has remained the same for decades.
Approximately €3 million has been spent on the ring road this year but, according to local councillor Michael Cahill, multiples of that would be needed to make a worthwhile impact.
While welcoming €800,000 for a stretch between Glenbeigh village and the local national school, he said work done in recent years on the ring road had been largely piecemeal.
“We didn’t get enough money when times were good and there’s far less chance of getting it now or in the coming years. I’m reliably told there will be a huge shortage of money for roads everywhere because of the austerity programme,” Mr Cahill said.
“It’s designated as a national secondary road, but this road is much more than that. It is the country’s busiest scenic route and probably one of the busiest such routes in Europe. It deserves greater priority.”
There are two bridges on either side of Glenbeigh, over which only one vehicle can cross at a time.
There have been calls for many years for the widening of these bridges, but Mr Cahill said the possibility of getting funds to carry out the work is unlikely.
Meanwhile, Kerry County Council has confirmed works on a 4km section of the ring road between Castlecove and Sneem will start in the new year.
The council hopes to improve a 6.5km stretch of the Castlecove to Caherdaniel road in 2013, if funds are available.
