ANGER AT ROAD WORKS
Town residents slam Irish Water for noisy early morning and late works
RESIDENTS in the centre of Sligo had to endure a week of sleepless nights as roadworks continued into the small hours of the morning.
Jack hammers and kango breakers were in full use until 4am or 5am last week in the Connolly Street/Mail Coach Road area according to councillor Chris MacManus.
He was contacted by dozens of furious residents who couldn’t get a night’s sleep. The works were part of Irish Water’s pipe replacement programme taking place in the town for several months now.
However, it appears Sligo County Council had issued a commercial road licence to Irish Water instead of a residential one. This allowed workers continue until the small hours instead of downing tools at 7pm.
A County Councillor has vowed to take up late night roadworks with the County Council after receiving several complaints from residents complaining of sleepless nights.
Irish Water are undertaking pipe replacement works in the Temple Street, Connolly Street, Mail Coach Road and St Joseph’s Terrace area over the past week or so with claims the work is going on into the early hours of the morning.
While traffic disruption has become the norm and drivers are putting up with daily gridlock around Sligo it’s the late night work that has annoyed residents.
Councillor Chris MacManus says he is going to take the issue up with the Council which is the authority that issues the road cutting licences.
He has spoken about how he was on his way home late one night last week and stopped to speak with the foreman overseeing the work at Mail Coach Road.
“This is not the first time I’ve taken issue with road openings at night time in residential areas. This has been going on several nights in a row well into the early hours of the morning.
“Road openings are always an inconvenience and cause traffic delays, but kangoing and jack hammering in the middle of the night is depriving many who are working or going to education the next day of their sleep.
“I’ ll be taking this matter up with the Council who issued these road opening licenses,” said Cllr MacManus.
Several residents living in the area took to social media to vent their anger at the late night works.
One resident said: “Fair play to you Chris MacManus someone has to stand up for the residents. A lot of people have had no sleep for days now.”
Another said: “It’s a joke. Haven’t slept in days with this outside the door.”
“I was woke after 2am last night with it. God love all the residents living nearer ,no need for it after 12am ,,if u had a party in the house the guards be at your door for loud music and noise,” said another.
Another local added: “It’s a joke Chris because my daughter, boyfriend and grandson live there at city gate apartments and the child has been sick the last couple of weeks and since they started working during the night none of them gave Had a proper night’s sleep it’s absolutely shocking.”
Works have since progressed in the direction of Pearse Road and Cemetery Road. Both Irish Water and Sligo County Council were contacted but at the time of going to press had not responded.