Growing anger as local roads continue to deteriorate

There are calls this week for emergency funding to be made available to tackle the increasing numbers of dangerous potholes and damaged roads as the devastating effects of the flooding and frost become clear. One local councillor said he has never seen roads in as poor a condition in his 31 years as a public representative. Speaking to the Westmeath Independent this week, Cllr Joe Flanagan highlighted the rapidly deteriorating condition of the Muckinagh road in Glasson, many stretches around Tubberclair and parts of the Moate to Moyvoughley roads as example of those in need of immediate repair. Involved in the motor industry, Cllr Flanagan said he's never seen so much damage done to cars as result of the roads. "I'm calling for the Muckinagh road to be restored immediately as I think the school bus going down there is now in doubt. It's had the double whammy of the flooding and the frost," he said. "It's a desperately frustrating situation, seven days a week I'm getting phone calls about potholes." Indeed, in one instance last week Cllr Joe Flanagan was forced to put a bollard in a pothole at Clonthread, between Moate and Moyvoughley, in a bid to ensure there wasn't an accident. "I was just so worried. If a car went hit into it they could end up hitting a tree," he warned. " Filling a pothole though is just a sticking plaster and you know what happens when they fall off. Westmeath County Council need a special allocation to resolve these problems," he said. Meanwhile, Cllr Kevin 'Boxer' Moran said he has also been inundated with calls from motorists with burst tyres and damaged shocks as a result of "potholes all over the place". "The Glasson to Portlick road is almost impassable. Knockinea hill on the way to Ballinahown is in an awful way, as are the roads in the Golden Island area. The road in Priory Park via the health centre is also in an appalling condition," he said. Cllr Moran said the council was compiling a report in an effort to source funding from the Department. He said at the very least a pothole team needed to be put in place to try and remedy the situation in the short term. "Who is going to pay for the damage to cars? They're are coming to me by the hour. Although, what I would say to people is to be mindful of what the local authority has gone through in the last few months, they are trying to get to everyone as quick as humanly possible with water, sewerage and roads problems." Over in South Roscommon, there have been complaints about stretches throughout the area according to Fine Gael's John Naughten, who said people were on roads that were often in a worse state than was the case 20 years. He cited parts of Clonown as "particularly bad" along with the Drum Road and Togher roads. "Since the frost went, the roads are just breaking up," he said, adding that an emergency job on the new Tuam Road had to be undertaken over the last few days after part of the stretch completely collapsed. "It's something I'll be raising at the next meeting to seek emergency funding from the Department. They are completely out of touch. The roads are in dire state as a result of unprecedented weather." Fianna Fáil's Frankie Keena said he also intended to raise the issue at Thursday's Athlone Area Committee meeting, after receiving complaints of a lot of damaged roads and potholes, in particular the Baylin to Tully Road, Moydrum to Blyry stretch and the Carrickobrien road, part of which was washed away in the floods. "There is no sense throwing a shovel of stuff in and it then being washed away. A permanent job needs to be done," he said. "The council needs emergency funding, man-hours and resources to tackle the roads". No money has been spent on roads in the town of Moate in over a decade, Cllr Tom Allen told the Westmeath Independent this week, pointing out the condition of the Main Street had worsened further in the light of the unprecedented weather of late. "We were told when the bypass was done there would be money for the roads. It's done over a year now and we haven't received any funding," he said angrily. "I feel a bit let down by the council. Moate is not getting its fair share," he added.