Cork County Council has warned that nearly €1bn is needed to bring the county’s road network up to standard after years of underfunding and worsening climate damage.
According to the Irish Examiner, the latest severe weather events in January alone have added at least €11m to the repair bill, according to council estimates. Engineers are still assessing the full extent of the damage, but the council expects costs of around €10m from the freezing conditions in early January and another €1m from Storm Éowyn.
Padraig Barrett, the council’s director of roads and transportation services, said that while all roads remain open, many are in poor condition due to repeated freezing and thawing, which has torn up surfaces. A detailed repair cost inventory will be submitted to the Department of Transport by the end of the month in the hope of securing additional funding.
Mayor of County Cork Joe Carroll has called for urgent government action, stating that Cork has long received less road funding per kilometre than other counties, leaving much of its 12,000km network in a desperate state.
“This is unacceptable,” he said. “We have told our newly elected TDs that they must fight in the Dáil for more investment in our roads.”
He also warned that worsening weather events are only compounding the issue, as many roads are already in such poor condition that they are more easily damaged by storms and extreme temperatures.
