NRA has no money to fix roads due to N6 construction

The NRA last week told local representatives that it had no money to put towards the resurfacing of regional roads in South Roscommon. They have been left badly damaged as a result of their use by heavy goods vehicles during the construction of the N6 dual carriageway from Athlone to Ballinasloe. Roscommon County Council has estimated that €3m in funding would be needed to repair the damage caused during the work, while its members in the south of the county say the total cost of bringing the roads up to scratch would be closer to €5m. However, at a meeting between the NRA, the council executive, and local representatives on Tuesday last, the roads authority stated that it had set aside just €400,000 for the repair of roads in South Roscommon and that this money has already been spent. The NRA stated it would work with the council in order to seek funding for the repair of the roads from the contractor carrying out work on the €62m N6 Athlone to Ballinasloe development. But it said that since its funding from the Department of Transport had been cut, the NRA had no money available at present to put towards the repair of the roads which are in a particularly bad state in the parish of Taughmaconnell, and between Cam and Dysart. Deputy Naughten said that in outlining the need for the repair of the roads the deputation from South Roscommon has put 'the strongest possible case' to the NRA, but to no avail. 'It is very disheartening,' he said. 'We believe that the NRA and the government have a responsibility to put the roads back in the condition they were in originally. We"re not looking for a motorway or anything like it. 'The residents of South Roscommon have been very tolerant of the increased traffic during the construction of the new road and the funds should be made available to them from the NRA and the government in order to repair these local roads.' Cllr Tony Ward said that he couldn"t believe the NRA had not set aside at least €5m in funding for the repair of the damaged roads. 'Did they think that no trucks were going to be used? That the materials would be delivered by helicopter?' asked the Independent councillor from Curraghboy. 'The roads are in a deplorable state at the moment and if they"re not fixed now it will take up to 30 years to bring them back to their original standard,' he stated. Cllr Ward added that if there was no progress on the issue in the near future a meeting would have to be sought with Transport Minister Noel Dempsey. 'The NRA might say "well at least you have a new motorway." That"s not much consolation to people on the local roads network who might never be on the motorway, and even if they were they"re entitled to a local road network that"s not badly damaged.' These sentiments were echoed by Fianna Fail"s Cllr Anthony Geraghty, who said that funding was allocated by the NRA to repair roads damaged during motorway construction in Galway and Westmeath, and that all Roscommon was requesting was to also be awarded funding to restore its roads to the condition they were in before the start of the N6 construction work.