This article is from page 17 of the 2014-01-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
THE section of the M18 which was closed on two separate occasion following a series of traffic accident on December 19 last, was gritted on three separate occasion immediately before being closed.
Clare County Council is to write to the National Roads Authority (NRA) requesting that a risk assessment be carried out a section of the M18 closed to Crusheen, which councillors yesterday claimed was defective.
“A number of people contacted me over the last few months in relation to this section of road. The NRA reply is filled with a lot of jargon about the road,” said Cllr Pat Hayes (FF).
“There was an unfortunate fatality in this area and there seems to be a continous problem with flooding on this section of the road. The people in Crusheen have a real concern about this section of the roadway and this has to be resolved. The NRA have given a very specific answer as to why this section of roadway was closed on the 19th (December) but this is an ongoing issue.
“We need to find out why there have been so many accidents on this section of roads. I am not putting blame on anyone but we need to talk to the NRA get to the bottom of this issue.”
The motion was supported by Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind).
“There is something wrong with that road. You have cars aquaplaning when you don’t expect it to happen. I’m not an engineer, but I know as a driver when I don’t feel secure on this part of the road. It is time that they go out and investigate this and get to the bottom it.”
Senior engineer with Clare County Council, Tom Tiernan said that the NRA have carried out investigation on this section of the M18 in the past.
“In relation to the fatality and a number of other accidents I do know that the NRA have come on the ground afterwards and examined what could have been the cause of these accidents,” he said.