€2.5m released for emergency repairs to Cork’s potholed N20

Motorists regularly using a potholed main road in Co Cork will finally find travelling it a little smoother.

After almost a year of constant complaints about the state of sections of the N20 (the main Cork–Limerick road), Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has finally released funding to Cork County Council to undertake emergency repairs on a number of sections of the road.

TII has given the local authority slightly more than €2.5m for repairs to the worst sections of the road in Co Cork, and the majority of the work will take place at night to minimise disruption.

Work has just started on the repairs at eight separate locations and will continue until September 25, depending on weather conditions.

Breedon Surfacing Solutions Ireland Ltd has been appointed as the contractor, and the company will carry out the work from 8pm to 6am on weekdays. There will be no weekend work.

The main areas being focused on are the northbound carriageway between the Mourneabbey and Dromahane junctions, areas near Rathduff and the section close to Blarney Business Park.

Further works are then planned between Newtwopothouse and Buttevant, taking in the ‘Ballybeg Bends’ area. This is expected to start in late September or early October and will take approximately two-and-a-half weeks to complete.

The release of TII funding has been welcomed by Fine Gael councillor Liam Madden, who has led calls for the work for more than a year.

“I have been constantly raising this issue now for over a year, it has gone from municipal district meetings to the Northern Division meetings and then onto full council. Eventually TII agreed to meet a county council delegation at which the serious state of the road was highlighted.

“The whole situation (release of funding) needs to be streamlined going forward especially as there were real safety concerns especially as there were section of the road surface deteriorating on a daily basis,” Mr Madden said. 

Calls for safety works at N20 junctions 

Meanwhile, Mr Madden has again highlighted the need for safety works at a number of junctions along the route, especially in the Mourneabbey and Grenagh areas.

Local residents and community associations have long been complaining about dangerous junctions where a number of accidents have been reported in the past couple of years.

Mr Madden said the number of these accidents is increasing and that he is seriously concerned about this. Other councillors representing the North Cork area have also raised this issue.

Mr Madden said recommendations were put forward for solutions at these junctions about two years ago, but none have been implemented to date.

“The county council and all involved in those areas now know that delivery of N/M20 and especially this section is at least eight years away, so we need urgent action. Once the pavement works are completed this fight will continue for residents and commuters that live along N20. Cork County Council now needs to draw up safety measures at the junctions, with the input of the local communities, and then request funding from TII to get the work done,” Mr Madden added.