Almost €12.5 million will help improve road network
ALMOST €12.5 million will be invested in local, regional and private roads in Wexford this year.
Last Tuesday Minister for Transport Shane Ross announced a national road fund of €417million which is an increase of 29 per cent on last year’s figures.
He said that ‘while the funding in 2018 will largely continue to support the maintenance of our current regional road network, expenditure on road improvements projects is ex- pected to increase to about €50 million.
In Wexford the total amount allocated is €12,324,000. Of this €7,015,000 will be spent on restoration improvements; €1,206,500 will be spent on restoration maintenance; €548,500 will be spent on supplementary restoration maintenance; €2,573,000 will be spent on discretionary grants; €257,000 will be spent on bridge rehabilitation works; €249,000 will be spent on safety improvement works; €40,500 will be spent on speed limits; €68,000 will be spent on training grants while the remaining €366,500 will be spent on drainage works.
Wexford County Council can decide the best way in which to spend the various allocations except in the case of bridge rehabilitation works on regional and local roads.
The bridge works to be carried out this year include a spend of €25,000 on Ballybough Bridge, Fairfield on the L61241; €15,000 on Corah Bridge in Ferns on the L5123-1; €35,000 on Ballinvalley Bridge, Monamolin on the R741; €17,000 on Horan’s Lane Bridge in Pollshone on the L50841; €15,000 on the bridge at Coolatore, Ferns on the L1023; €40,000 on Grange Bridge, Kilann on the L6157-1; €35,000 on Aughermon Bridge, Wellingtonbridge on the L70361-2; €25,000 on Poulsack Bridge, Castlebridge on the L3005-2 and €50,000 on Deeps Bridge in Killurin on L3006-2.
Minister Paul Kehoe said he was delighted to see Wexford receive increased funding.
‘I was delighted to see Wexford receive €12,324,000 in funding for our local and regional roads, an increase of €681,249 on the same funding in 2017.
‘ This funding will allow safety improvement works to be carried out throughout the county.
‘Fine Gael in Government is committed to reducing deaths on Irish roads. 2017 saw the lowest number of fatalities on roads since records began. We cannot allow complacency to creep in and we must drive this down further.’
In addition to this funding, Minister Kehoe also confirmed that another round of LIS funding will be paid in the first half of this year.
Minister Kehoe said in last year’s LIS scheme 18 private roads in Wexford were designated for improvements.
‘A total of €494,493 was allocated for road improvements such as resurfacing here in Wexford last year. The LIS scheme was re-introduced last year and has made a huge difference to local communities here in Wexford.
‘Many lanes and boreens which link private homes and farms are not on the public roads network and are not maintained by the council so this scheme really supports people living in rural areas.’