Safety improvements needed on the 'Bantry Line' from Cork city due to increasing numbers of HGVs
West Cork Municipal District heard that 'on a daily basis there is an increased volume of articulated trucks using this route because of the port being used by national and international transport companies.' File photo
Increasing numbers of HGVs travelling along the “Bantry Line” route from Cork city to the far west of the county are posing an increasing safety risk for road users, according to Beara-based Independent councillor Finbarr Harrington who raised the issue in a motion proposed to the West Cork Municipal District.
In his motion Mr Harrington asked: “That this council would write to the Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien TD, the Minister for Marine Timmy Dooley TD and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and ask that they would explore the possibility of making an application to secure extra funding through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFAF) for the R572 Castletownbere to Glengarriff, the N71 Glengarriff to Ballylickey, the R584 and the R585 Ballylickey to Crookstown and a roundabout onto the N22.
“This is the main route used by lorries transporting fish from Castletownbere fisheries harbour. Castletownbere is the largest fishing port in Ireland and the fourth largest in Europe by value.
"On a daily basis there is an increased volume of articulated trucks using this route because of the port being used by national and international transport companies. This is leading to many parts of the road verge subsiding especially where the road is narrow, so extra funding is needed.”
Responding for Cork County Council, Padraig Barrett, director of services for roads and transportation, said that the Department of Transport had funded a number of projects on the route including preliminary design for works in the vicinity of Adrigole Bridge in 2025 and surfacing works on the R572 west of Glengarriff and on the R585.
He said that on the N71 Ballylickey to Glengarriff, TII have allocated €50,000 for resurfacing works at the junction of the N71 at the Ouvane Falls in 2025. In addition, tender documents are being prepared for a pavement overlay scheme from Droumkeel to Ballylickey and it is hoped, subject to funding, that this scheme will proceed in 2026.
On the junction of the N22 and the R585 a feasibility and options report has been submitted to TII for their consideration and discussions between Cork County Council and TII are ongoing.
He added: “Cork County Council would welcome any additional funding that could be availed of to support road improvements and support our indigenous industries. The roads department of Cork County Council will engage with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to establish if there are projects on the road network that may be supported by funding from the EMFAF.”
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