New policy to target Tipp’s worst roads

Tipperary Co Council is embarking on a new policy aimed at tackling once and for all the worst roads in the county.

Councillors were anxious to avoid an “urban versus rural” situation when it was confirmed at an online workshop last week that some monies earmarked for towns would instead be spent on repairing country roads. But, during an at times heated debate, council management was at pains to point out that Tipperary ranks towards the bottom of the national league in terms of the condition of rural roads.

The new Pavement Surface Condition Index (PSCI), a national rating of roads on a scale of 1 (extensive structural distress) to 10 (no visible defects) ranks a high proportion of Tipperary roads in the 1-4 categories. 36% of tertiary roads in the county are in these categories.

Director of Services Marcus O'Connor told the workshop that the service indicators “don't make comfortable reading”. The council is going to change its investment model to target the county's worst roads based on the PSCI ratings. “The money will follow the patient,” Mr O'Connor said, adding that improved work practices and materials would form part of the new policy.

Executive Engineer James Murray made the point that Tipperary is home to some 5,700km of road network. One could drive from Porto in northern Portugal all the way to Jerusalem in the Middle East if the whole network was laid out as one route.

Ninety-four percent of Tipperary's roads have been surveyed over the last two years or so and the county is in an “uncomfortable position” when compared to the majority of Ireland's 30 other local authorities. A significant number of local primary, local secondary and tertiary roads have a PSCI rating of 4 or below.

Executive Engineer Liam Brett said local authority roads funding is returning to its 2007 peak, though the cost of labour and material has increased while the council has suffered a backlog of problems that could not be addressed when the economic crash hit. While total funding sources had thankfully increased from around €30 million in 2017 to €50 million this year, Mr Brett said it has been estimated that some €263 million would be required to bring all roads in the county up to the required standard. While the idea of raising a loan has been suggested locally many times before, the Department of Transport has continuously rejected the idea, he said.

‘URBAN VERSUS RURAL’

Several councillors spoke out against the council's proposal to divert 20% of ‘town monies’ towards its stated aim of dealing with the worst affected roads in rural areas. Many agreed that towns have suffered from the abolition of town councils in 2014.

Questions were asked over how Tipperary's roads have been allowed deteriorate to such a condition. Cllr Kieran Bourke wanted to know why the council could not borrow money for roads when it had secured a €4 million loan for housing voids.

Cllr Micheál Lowry said the council was admitting for the first time that work practices and materials were not up to standard, something many councillors had been complaining about for years, while Cllr Siobhán Ambrose accused the council of being “reactive, not proactive” in holding the workshop. She claimed councillors and district engineers had not been informed of plans to redistribute town funding.

Mr O'Connor recalled being part of five different deputations seeking extra roads funding from central government over the years. The Department consistently rejected the prospect of a loan.

He assured those present that town roads would be maintained but that some of their funding would have to be taken for rural parts of the county. “There are roads in rural areas that are in an absolutely atrocious condition; they're practically impassable,” Mr O'Connor said. “There's nothing like that in the towns.”

He said the council is proposing a “relatively modest transfer” of funding from the towns, one that would equate to around €400,000. Mr O'Connor said Tipperary's towns are in fact gaining from a new stream of funding under the Active Travel scheme, under which €4.6 million was allocated for this year, all of which would be spent in urban areas.