Battered and crumbling, our roads have been through a very tough winter. Floods, snow, freeze and thaw have provided a nice field lesson for junior cert science students about how erosion works, according to the Automobile Association (AA).
They have also left local authorities and the government with a big and expensive repair job on their hands. For motorists, brace yourselves for a Spring of battered suspensions and blow-outs. On secondary roads especially there can be danger around every bend.
Ireland struggled in its response to the extraordinary cold snap that started the year but we did get through it. Roads country wide now need fixing, and they need it badly. In several cases whole stretches of road need to be essentially re-constructed. Others need to be fully resurfaced or have margin treatment. Below that again there are a lot of roads that have had some cracks and damage. The great Irish pothole, once the biggest complaint about our roads in years gone by, is back with a vengeance.
The major road network came through relatively unscathed and the new motorways are fine. In total the primary road network is 5,500 kilometres long. That is just 6% of the total road network, which has 97,000 kms (although it does carry 46% of all traffic).
The secondary road network is the problem. Many ‘secondary’ roads are in fact very important local links and can make the difference between connection and isolation in rural areas. If the roads are not repaired then drivers, cyclists and motor bike riders will be at risk from expensive damage and injuries. Insurance companies will be hit and more claims and potential injuries will add to HSE costs – already hit by the increase in fractured bones as a result of icy pavements.
For motorists, take extra care on secondary roads this Spring. Do not trust a blind bend as you could find a damaged road surface under your wheels in an instant. As always, the most important tip is to slow down.
The statutory responsibility is held with the local authorities for the maintenance and construction of these roads in their jurisdiction. Which is all very well but it doesn’t pay the bill. The full extent of the recent damage is not yet clear but one estimate put the cost at €150 million. Local authorities want extra money that is hardly easy to come by these days.
The AA’s view is that whoever picks up the tab we cannot simply neglect the roads and let them get worse. The job won’t get any cheaper by procrastination and in fact now is probably a good time given that construction costs are down and contractors and engineers with construction experience should be readily available. As the phrase says – just do it.
