Major €3m N71 resurfacing project to begin after bank holiday

A 3km section of the Ballylickey-to-Drumkeel route has been selected for work this year under a scheme with a €3m allocation for 2026

The wider project covers 5.6km of the N71, with a separate safety scheme also being developed to provide new footpaths and pedestrian crossings. File picture: iStock

Work on a major €3m resurfacing project on the N71 at Ballylickey near Bantry, West Cork, is set to begin in the days following the October bank holiday, councillors have been told.

A 3km stretch of the route between Ballylickey and Drumkeel will be resurfaced as part of the scheme, with Priority Construction appointed as contractor.

The works form part of a wider 5.6km upgrade of the N71, while a separate road safety project providing new footpaths and pedestrian crossings is also being advanced.

The update was given at Cork County Council’s Western Division committee, where councillors welcomed the investment but sought assurances about junction layouts and the co-ordination of utility works.

Independent Ireland councillor Danny Collins asked that members be shown the detailed safety proposals before construction. He highlighted roadside parking used by people sharing lifts to work and said the design needed to take account of how the area was used.

Fianna Fáil councillor George Gill also sought clarification after a resident raised concerns about the right-turn lane towards Kealkill.

 The council’s director of services for roads and transport, Pádraig Barrett, confirmed that the safety scheme would be brought before municipal district members before construction on that section.

Its feasibility and options report has been approved by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), and consulting engineers Clandillon have been appointed to prepare the detailed design. 

Officials told the meeting they were aiming to progress construction of the safety scheme next year.

The council is also examining whether electricity cable ducting can be incorporated into the resurfacing contract to avoid disturbing the renewed road later. Independent councillor Finbarr Harrington urged similar co-ordination with Uisce Éireann.

He said it would be devastating to finish resurfacing the road only to have it dig up again weeks later for water main repairs. 

Officials said they would obtain further information on the water works and acknowledged the importance of installing utility infrastructure before the final road surface was laid.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme