Action needed to remedy "atrocious" motorway -Kilduff

Driving on the Athlone to Ballinasloe motorway after any spell of rain is like travelling on a sheet of ice, a South Roscommon-based councillor claimed this week, after four separate accidents on the stretch on one day over the past fortnight. Cllr Paddy Kilduff, who raised the issue at Monday's monthly meeting of the council, said he almost lost control of his own car recently on the "atrocious" stretch after a spell of heavy rain. "Gardai are deeply concerned about the situation on that road," he said. "Four people crashed there on one day in the last two weeks after heavy rain. The drainage and ponding system is not right and culverts are not up to standard," he complained, adding that the project is just not up to the same spec as the Ballinasloe/Athlone road. In a motion, he called on the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, to investigate the reason why the stretch of motorway has been completed to what he said was such a poor standard to the extent that motorists were in serious risk of fatality during periods of heavy rainfall due to the inadequate storm water infrastructure. He is concerned that if the council take over the road now, they will be left with huge bills to improve the problematic conditions on the stretch, something they can ill afford in a time of tight budgets on all fronts. The Fianna Fáil councillor is adamant Roscommon County Council cannot take ownership of the motorway from Athlone to Ballinasloe until it is brought fully up to scratch and the drainage problems solved. The lack of signage for rate-paying businesses at exit 13 to show the old Ballinasloe road also needs to remedied, he said, adding that at a meeting with the NRA recently to highlight the problems on the M6, six members of Roscommon County Council were treated like a "rabble of children" and with "total disrespect"