MacCurtain Street ramps - 'like hitting a pothole'
Speed ramps on MacCurtain Street in Fermoy have been a source of frustration for many motorists using the thoroughfare in recent times.
Complaints have arisen in relation to the condition of the ramps, one located outside Bishop Murphy Memorial School and the other located outside The Avondhu office, concerning damage to cars and difficulty getting over the ramps, as well as claims that the speed ramps are ‘crumbling’.
One member of the public told TheAvondhu that these ramps, which also serve as pedestrian crossings along the high-traffic street, are like ‘hitting a pothole’ for motorists.
“Going over them is like hitting a pothole, but nothing will be done until they’re redoing the roads; the potholes on MacCurtain Street are getting more and more frequent,” the man said.
According to Cllr Noel McCarthy, he has received several representations from members of the public and agrees that the ramps are ‘in need of attention’.
“They seem to be breaking up and chipping and holes coming in the ramp itself, making it harder for the car to go over,” he said.
DIFFICULT TO NEGOTIATE
Speaking on the ramp located at Bishop Murphy Memorial School, where the sound of vehicle bumpers can often be heard hitting the raised ramp, Cllr McCarthy said that there appears to be holes forming on the road, particularly when travelling in the direction of Cork Road.
“We never had complaints about this ramp, only in the last year and a half and I think it’s because when you come to the ramp, there’s these holes and the car is going down with the sinking of the road,” Cllr McCarthy said.
Acknowledging the need for the ramps to be in place for health and safety reasons, the councillor outlined his intention to call for the ramps to be reconstructed at an upcoming meeting of the council, so that they ‘wouldn’t be so hard on cars’.
“I’ve seen a car, one that was low to the ground, really struggling to go over it and he was going so slow, so slow. Even though the ramp has to stay there and do its job, it needs to be not as severe on the cars as it is at the moment,” Cllr McCarthy said.