Transport Infrastructure Ireland has 'totally neglected' Cork’s N71, says councillor
Cork County Council’s West Cork Municipal District was told that the poor quality of the road was also affecting the planning process with objections to new developments being brought on road safety grounds. File picture: Denis Minihane
The N71 national road in West Cork — the primary access route to the region — is being “totally neglected” by the responsible State body Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) according to a local councillor.
Fine Gael councillor Caroline Cronin raised the issue of the condition of the road in a motion proposed at a recent meeting of Cork County Council’s West Cork Municipal District which asked that: “This council write to the TII asking them to undertake immediate and urgent action to repair and upgrade the N71 road from New Court, Skibbereen to Scart Cross near Bantry, where the N71 intersects with the R586”.
Ms Cronin said: “The current condition of this really important route is unacceptable and brings significant safety hazards to all road users. Specifically, the section beyond Leslie Roycroft's garage where the road is subsiding on both sides, creating dangerous conditions.
“Parts of this road are so narrow that I've personally witnessed two lorries actually getting stuck together on a national road.”
Ms Cronin added that a footpath from Bantry Cross to Gabriel Rangers GAA pitch also needed to be prioritised as it is “extremely dangerous" for children to walk on the road.
She said: “The bend at New Court near Skibbereen is a known trap for accidents, and the stretch near llen Rovers' pitch is extremely dangerous especially after heavy rain, there are so many pockets where the surface water can't drain quick enough then you have local flooding causing aqua-plaining.”
Ms Cronin said the section near Kilcoe church also needed resurfacing, as well as traffic calming measures, and the road at Ardura was “a severe bone shaker”, with the entire route being a patchwork of deteriorated tar.
She concluded: “I'm asking for the full weight of Cork County Council to get behind me and prioritise repairs and improvements on this stretch of the N71 so that residents, commuters and emergency responders can travel safely.”
Supporting the motion, Fianna Fáil councillor Joe Carroll said the N71 had been “totally neglected” by TII and the section from Skibbereen to Bantry was so poor that it should not be classed as a national road. He added that the poor quality of the road was also affecting the planning process with objections to new developments being brought on road safety grounds.
Independent Ireland councillor Daniel Sexton said proposed upgrade works at Newmills “seemed to have gone off the radar again” adding that “not enough is happening” on the entire route.
Padraig Barrett, director of services for roads and transportation, said Cork County Council would write to TII requesting funding to undertake pavement repair and upgrade works of the N71 between New Court, Skibbereen and Scart Cross near Bantry.
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