No guarantee of grit for Cogaula

MAYO County Council is to consider providing a cold-weather gritting service to a community with concerns about a new bridge constructed over the new N5 dual carriageway.

Earlier this year residents from Cogaula, outside Westport, spoke to The Mayo News about the lack of gritting on the new bridge, which was left impassable during frosty weather in the past year.

Mayo County Council’s Head of Roads, Paul Dolan, has indicated that Cogaula and Slaugar areas could be added to the local authority’s gritting routes as part of its winter-services plan.

Speaking at the county council’s Roads SPC, Mr Dolan warned that there is little scope to expand the amount of winter gritting carried out by the local authority.

“We will see can we incorporate them [Cogaula] in the gritting, but I can’t guarantee it,” he said.

Independent county councillor John O’Malley said that he received calls at seven o’clock in the morning last winter from people attempting to travel along icy untreated roads in the Cogaula and Slogger. He warned that a ‘disaster’ could there without the provision of salt or grit.

Cllr O’Malley also called for a barrier to installed at the bottom of Cogaula bridge to prevent cars from sliding off the road.

Mr Dolan explained that a permanent surface has since been put in place along the bridge.