Consultants to be in place for Rathkenny project in Q2

The hope is that consultants to progress proposed works on the R118 Rathkenny Cavan to Cootehill Road can be appointed as soon as the second quarter of this year.

The update was provided at the January meeting of Cavan County Council on foot of a question from Aontú's Sarah O'Reilly seeking an update in relation to the long planned for East-West route.

She also wanted to discuss the condition of roads generally and said that heavy traffic, coupled with poor and more extreme weather events, are taking their toll.

Specifically, with regards to the Cootehill-Bailieborough area, she said “I don't know how long we are in the asking” for updates and progress in relation to the East West link.

She acknowledged that close to €1 million had been spent to date with funding allocated to both Cavan and Louth county councils to carry out initial assessments on two possible schemes.

Consequently, both local authorities submitted Strategic Assessment Reports, which are currently being appraised and considered.

Cavan, meanwhile, is progressing its plans to find a suitable solution for a series of bends at Rathkenny, which also forms part of East-West Road project, and were allocated €250,000 last year.

“We don't get enough updates,” lamented Cllr O'Reilly, whose motion was supported by Fine Gael's Carmel Brady.

It was her opinion that the East West link had ended up on the “back-burner”.

“We can't afford to let it be put on the back-burner,” she said, highlighting the wealth of industry in the east of the county, which is serviced only by local and regional roadway.

“We need to fight for our section of it,” added Cllr Brady.

Preparatory work was carried out previously following the allocation of €130,000 in funding.

Fianna Fáil's Aiden Fitzpatrick, attending the meeting virtually, agreed that it is imperative the council keeps the East-West link as an item for discussion on the agenda.

There was support too from Cllrs Trevor Smith and Val Smith (FG) who said that councillors were facing “headaches day and night” listening to constituents angered by the state of the roads in the district.

The East-West link therefore “needs to be our priority for the area”, he said.

Director of Services Paddy Connaughton, who revealed to elected members his hope to appoint consultants in the second quarter of 2024, said that the €250,000 allocation only “focused” on the Rathkenny bends.

A report arising from preliminary works and surveys carried out was submitted to the department in September, with the aim to appoint a team of consultants sometime from April onwards.

He suggested to the councillors that, to build the East-West Link as envisioned, may cost in the region of €600 million.

“There doesn't seem to be the appetite for that,” said Mr Connaughton, adding that, as a local authority, they had identified the need to fix the bends at Rathkenny as “very important”.

Responding, Cllr O'Reilly (Aon) asked, if consultants are appointed, whether they will have time to carry out the work required.

She further remarked, in relation to the appointment of consultants to examine solutions for the junction next to Bailieborough town’s Market Square, “we haven't heard from them.”

Mr Connaughton highlighted an engineering skills deficit in Ireland at the present time. “It's a national issue,” he said.