Repair works progressing on roads across district

Significant investment in road repairs, safety upgrades and bridge rehabilitation is continuing across the Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District.

Sinn Féin's Colm Carthy was advised that funding applications are in place to resurface and strengthen the Castleblayney Road (R927) between Inver College and the roundabout, where surface dips have been identified. This route is also included in the Council’s 2025 Safety Improvement Programme, which provides for a new controlled pedestrian crossing on Oriel Road, Carrickmacross, with works scheduled to commence in early January 2026 following a short deferral over the Christmas period.

In residential areas, repair works to the rear access road at St Macartan’s Villas have now been completed, while the feasibility of resurfacing the main road serving St Macartan’s, Emmet Street and Convent View will be examined.

Paul Gibbons (SF) also highlighted the poor condition of the L41112 at Corravoo, with an update provided when elected members met at Castleblayney Library for their December meeting.

While not currently included in the adopted Roads Programme, the road has been assessed as requiring a structural overlay. Essential maintenance in the short term will be delivered, while the road is to be considered for future funding streams.

At Coolreagh Cottages, Noel Keelan (SF) raised concerns about speeding traffic accessing Killanny.

The council response is to carry out traffic and speed surveys to determine whether traffic calming measures are required, and to explore future funding options.

He also asked about the entrance to the Donaghmoyne estate, which Cllr Keelan said there is a “job to be done”; and questioned if anything can be done to improve the approach road to Killanny.

Following a query from Fine Gael's Aidan Campbell, repairs at Cornacarrow Bridge and Tiragarvan Bridge are now approximately 90% complete, with remaining in-stream works scheduled to resume after the statutory closed season ends in May 2026.

Both Cllr Carthy, Fianna Fáil's P.J. O'Hanlon, and Fine Gael's Peter Conlan welcomed recent resurfacing works carried out on the old Ardee Road, Carrickmacross, which extends to Oriel Road where further works are planned in 2026.

The councillors asked that local businesses and residents can be engaged with ahead of time to inform them of the planned works and proposed footpath improvements, and any impact that might have on traffic and footfall in the area.

“Businesses do need time to plan,” commented Cllr Conlan.

Cllr O'Hanlon noted that roadworks for the MD had been planned three years in advance, and was eager to stress at the meeting that the public were made aware that the council is spending the funding available on fixing roads, and they were not simply “sitting on a war chest” for another day.