Tag Archives: National Roads Authority

SEVERE and sudden hailstorms are affecting the M18 more than most other roads, are all but impossible to forecast and have led to accidents on the route, according to the National Roads Authority (NRA). Clare TD Joe Carey raised concerns about the Crusheen-Gort section of the route in the Dáil and he subsequently received a letter from programme and regulatory manager of the NRA, Gary Carey. The NRA official stated, “There would appear to be a particular problem associated with hailstorms along the M18, which seem to be more frequent along this route than at other locations throughout the national road motorway network. “It was such a hailstorm on January 13, 2015, which resulted in skidding accidents and the closure of the road for a time by An Garda Síochána. “It is worth noting that some of the hailstorms recorded had such intensity that at one point they caused the road surface temperature to drop by approximately 5oC in a …

Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe has published a new document, the aim of which is to provide advice and guidance to those charged with responsibility for imposing speed limits. Guidelines for Setting and Managing Speed Limits will also ensure that greater consistency is applied where speed limits are concerned. The guidelines provide for the introduction of new road signage to deal with speed limits in rural areas on minor local roads and for the implementation of new urban ‘Slow Zones’ in residential areas to reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h. Minister Donohoe said, “Speed limits should not be seen by drivers as setting a target speed, or as being appropriate in all conditions, nor are they intended to be. Drivers must, take responsibility to drive at a safe speed appropriate to the particular road and surrounding environment, while not exceeding the posted speed limit’. “The purpose of the guidelines is to provide advice and guidance to local authority engineers, and …

FOUR houses and business premises could be knocked in the latest attempt to address Blake’s Corner in Ennistymon, one of the county’s worst bottlenecks. One couple, due to move into their first family home this week, has organised a meeting seeking public support in what they predict will be a major battle with Clare County Council and the National Roads Authority. Sheena Clancy, her husband, John and their four-year-old son, Jamie, are “devastated” after finding out they could lose the house they have spent the past seven months renovating and which they plan to move into this Friday. Sheena rented the property at Bridge Street for three years before the couple bought the building at auction last May, to renovate as their family home. Now, the family has discovered that the building is likely to be the subject of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) because it is in the path of a proposed new road. Sheena and John were paying …

  The National Roads Authority (NRA) has been asked to attend the January meeting of Clare County Council to address public dissatisfaction over the remedial works carried out on the motorway linking Crusheen and Gort. The call came the NRA was subjected to stinging criticism of the effectiveness of work carried out on the motorway, despite two recent road closures. Councillor Pat Hayes told a recent council meeting motorists were still complaining about a section of the motorway between Gort and Crusheen and weren’t happy with recent works carried out by the NRA. “The work carried out by the NRA didn’t address the issues that people were complaining about – the dips, hollows and aquaplaning in wet weather. The NRA spent between three to four weeks working on this road and nobody seems to know what they were doing. “It was all hush hush. The public need to know what is going on. The NRA should be invited to address …