Repeated water main breaks have left Healy Pass road 'in complete disrepair', council told

A recent meeting of Cork County Council’s West Cork Municipal District heard the water main below the road has failed 20 times in the last year

Councillors were told a 1600m section of the R574 Healy Pass road has three sections of temporary road reinstatements on the south bound lane ranging from 32m to 10m in length. File picture: David Creedon

Cork’s iconic Healy Pass mountain road on the Beara Peninsula is in “complete disrepair”, according to local independent councillor Finabarr Harrington due to repeated water main breaks requiring the road to be dug up.

Mr Harrington said the water main below the road has failed 20 times in the last year alone and each time the road must be dug up to fix the break. He said Uisce Éireann should replace the water main with new pipe which would prove more cost-effective.

In a motion proposed to the recent meeting of Cork County Council’s West Cork Municipal District Mr Harrington asked: “That this Council would write to Uisce Éireann and request that they carry out immediate emergency road reinstatement repairs to the R574 Healy Pass road from Adrigole Bridge to their water treatment plant where the road is in complete disrepair and dangerous in places because of all the water main breakages having to be repaired.” 

Responding for Cork County Council, area engineer Aidan Prendergast said: “On a 1600m section of the R574 Healy Pass road there are three sections of temporary road reinstatements on the south bound lane ranging from 32m to 10m in length.

"Portions of the reinstatements are not acceptable. The Castletownbere Area Office shall remind Uisce Éireann of its responsibilities regarding the maintenance of temporary road reinstatements and its obligation to carry out permanent reinstatements in a timely manner.” 

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