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The condition of roads in Co Wexford

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  • 29-07-2014 10:44pm
    #1
    purplepanda
    Registered Users Posts: 1,054 ✭✭✭


    There's no proper investment in infrastructure that can sustain large numbers of tourists & visitors. Plenty of old historical Norman ruins, castles & churches all around the south coast of wexford, never seems to be any historical information or descriptive nameplates displayed. Many historically important areas & villages yet no promotion, for events such as the Norman invasion. Nice beaches & scenery but terrible roads much worse than a boreen in Leitrim!

    I wouldn't be so happy at the prospect of getting bussed into Kilmore Quay on those local un-repaired potholed roads.

    Bridgetown with all the empty boarded up properties is such a sorry sight, shame on Wex CC & Irish Rail for a lack of forward planning & investment in the locality.

    Also all the wexford roads south of the N25 apart from the R773 are a total disgrace, in stark contrast to similar roads all along the west coast of Ireland. How can anyone expect to attract visitors & business to the region with such lack of basic transport infrastructure?

    In fact why are there no national roads south of the N25 New Ross -Wexford route? I'll bet the local roads haven't changed much since medieval times :rolleyes:


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    #2
    BarryD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭BarryD


    purplepanda wrote: »
    Also all the wexford roads south of the N25 apart from the R773 are a total disgrace, in stark contrast to similar roads all along the west coast of Ireland. How can anyone expect to attract visitors & business to the region with such lack of basic transport infrastructure?

    I don't think all the roads in the west are exactly wonderful either but I'd have to agree with you in general about the state of minor roads in Wexford. They really are some of the worst overall in the country and I always find this puzzling as the south east is relatively highly populated.

    There seems to be sort of shadow effect in play - Dublin and it's immediate commuter hinterland sucks up a lot of state resources. The Dublincentric political thinking also makes an effort to do something for 'rural Ireland' i.e. the remoter parts. But you get this band of regions in between, neither Dublin nor the 'west' which is practically ignored. These shadow lands are thus relatively barren in terms of state investment.


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    #3
    Cantona's Collars
    Registered Users Posts: 33,709 ✭✭✭✭Cantona's Collars


    BarryD wrote: »
    I don't think all the roads in the west are exactly wonderful either but I'd have to agree with you in general about the state of minor roads in Wexford. They really are some of the worst overall in the country and I always find this puzzling as the south east is relatively highly populated.

    There seems to be sort of shadow effect in play - Dublin and it's immediate commuter hinterland sucks up a lot of state resources. The Dublincentric political thinking also makes an effort to do something for 'rural Ireland' i.e. the remoter parts. But you get this band of regions in between, neither Dublin nor the 'west' which is practically ignored. These shadow lands are thus relatively barren in terms of state investment.


    Driving through Kildare the other day,it's easy to see where the money goes.No good having expensive horses being transported on sh1tty roads.We get sheep trails down here while the roads there were all nice smooth asphalt.Some of the back roads were better than the national roads in Wexford.
    It's a great introduction to driving in Ireland for those coming off the ferry,within a few miles your car would have rattles it never had before.


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    #4
    Marhay70
    Registered Users Posts: 1,913 ✭✭✭Marhay70


    Little is done in Wexford by the local authority to improve the experience for the tourist. I was in both Kilmore Quay and Courtown over the very hot weekend a couple of weeks ago and the experience was much the same in both. Primtive toilet facilities, overflowing waste bins, chaotic traffic with no policing, haphazard and illegal parking, groups of teenagers with cans and bottles of alcohol intimidating people. All in all, not a pleasant experience for a first time visitor.
    Now I know local communities have put much effort into trying to beautify their areas and it's an indictment of the local authority and the faceless civil servants who administer it, that a county so dependent on tourism is left to wallow in filth on the odd occasion when we do get good weather


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    #5
    vicwatson
    Registered Users Posts: 28,403 ✭✭✭✭vicwatson


    BarryD wrote: »
    I don't think all the roads in the west are exactly wonderful either but I'd have to agree with you in general about the state of minor roads in Wexford. They really are some of the worst overall in the country and I always find this puzzling as the south east is relatively highly populated.

    There seems to be sort of shadow effect in play - Dublin and it's immediate commuter hinterland sucks up a lot of state resources. The Dublincentric political thinking also makes an effort to do something for 'rural Ireland' i.e. the remoter parts. But you get this band of regions in between, neither Dublin nor the 'west' which is practically ignored. These shadow lands are thus relatively barren in terms of state investment.

    Cow crap


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    #6
    jd
    Registered Users Posts: 5,683 ✭✭✭jd


    purplepanda wrote: »
    In fact why are there no national roads south of the N25 New Ross -Wexford route? I'll bet the local roads haven't changed much since medieval times :rolleyes:

    What N road is needed south of the N25? Wexford is quite well served by N roads.

    file-18159-en.png


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    #7
    BarryD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭BarryD


    I don't see any particular problem with National Primary roads in Wexford, but many of the Regional roads and the busier local roads have rough and lumpy surfaces. There seems to be a policy of patching them up now & then - trouble is there are so many patches on some of these roads now, they're dire. Try driving over Ballinastraw hill from Bunclody towards Clonegal - a typical well traveled local road. Apart from the steep nature and bends of the road, people swerve this and that way to avoid the lumps, it's accidents waiting to happen and the local authority should be sued for damages when accidents do happen here. This road has been steadily deteriorating over the last dozen years or more.

    When you get down to minor roads that serve to access most areas, I've seen roads in Wexford that are worse than forestry tracks. They did have a layer of tarmac once but you'd be so busy avoiding the potholes that stretch this and that way, that you'd find it hard to spot the remaining bituminous surface..


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    #8
    purplepanda
    Registered Users Posts: 1,054 ✭✭✭purplepanda


    jd wrote: »
    What N road is needed south of the N25? Wexford is quite well served by N roads.

    With the amount of tourist traffic that travels straight through the county, to & from Rosslare, it would be standard practice elsewhere & abroad to try & attract tourists / visitors down to the south wexford coast region. To do this needs decent roads, not the dust tracks that presently exist.

    How about upgrading the R773 to act as an alternative route to access the Barrow Bridge bypass when that project is finished, that would attract visitors to the south coast.

    At present the only decent road on the south coast is to Lady's Island, most of the rest are not fit for purpose!


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    #9
    jd
    Registered Users Posts: 5,683 ✭✭✭jd


    purplepanda wrote: »
    With the amount of tourist traffic that travels straight through the county, to & from Rosslare, it would be standard practice elsewhere & abroad to try & attract tourists / visitors down to the south wexford coast region. To do this needs decent roads, not the dust tracks that presently exist.
    You are talking about will maintained R roads here, not N roads.


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    #10
    cython
    Registered Users Posts: 4,758 ✭✭✭cython


    purplepanda wrote: »
    With the amount of tourist traffic that travels straight through the county, to & from Rosslare, it would be standard practice elsewhere & abroad to try & attract tourists / visitors down to the south wexford coast region. To do this needs decent roads, not the dust tracks that presently exist.

    How about upgrading the R773 to act as an alternative route to access the Barrow Bridge bypass when that project is finished, that would attract visitors to the south coast.

    At present the only decent road on the south coast is to Lady's Island, most of the rest are not fit for purpose!
    jd wrote: »
    You are talking about will maintained R roads here, not N roads.

    This, completely. Look again at the map posted earlier in the thread of the N route network, and look specifically at Wicklow. Lots of the tourist traffic there will head towards the centre of the county, near the mountains (Glendalough, for example), quite a ways from either of the motorways/N-routes traversing the county. The difference between this and Wexford is that there is a decent standard of R-road in the county, unlike here. There was an image posted on the cycling forum here a few years ago where the border between the counties was visible in the road surface, where the surface on the Wicklow side was good, and potholes were visible in Wexford.


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    #11
    Cantona's Collars
    Registered Users Posts: 33,709 ✭✭✭✭Cantona's Collars


    cython wrote: »
    This, completely. Look again at the map posted earlier in the thread of the N route network, and look specifically at Wicklow. Lots of the tourist traffic there will head towards the centre of the county, near the mountains (Glendalough, for example), quite a ways from either of the motorways/N-routes traversing the county. The difference between this and Wexford is that there is a decent standard of R-road in the county, unlike here. There was an image posted on the cycling forum here a few years ago where the border between the counties was visible in the road surface, where the surface on the Wicklow side was good, and potholes were visible in Wexford.

    Speaking of cycling and roads,a year or so ago there was a road race organised by one of the local clubs SCC iirc and it had to be held in South Wicklow as the roads in Wexford were deemed to dangerous due to their condition.
    The guys on the ground in Wexford Co.Co. are fighting a losing battle maintaining roads,meanwhile when budgets need to be spent we see stretches of perfectly good N roads being dug up & relaid just to spend said budget rather than fixing the minor roads properly.

    Another thing I noticed is the amount of apathy among the population here,a few are passionate about promoting the area & events but many just are of the "ah sure,who'd be bothered with that" mindset. Take Strawberry Fest for example,people travelled to it while the locals just moaned about crowds,then moaned when it was downsized.Even the 1798 re-enactment suffered from the usual local apathy,friends of mine in the town didn't even know about it despite signs and poster being up for months around the area.


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    #12
    BarryD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭BarryD


    If & when the LPT goes primarily to the local authority, maybe there'll be an improvement as in theory Wexford, with it's denser population will raise more funds than some other counties.

    But it comes down to management at end of the day. Surely, the dosh was rolling in by the bucket load when all those holiday house developments were mushrooming along the coastal strip. What happened to that cash? Where was it spent? I'm sure there's people here who can fill us in :)


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    #13
    Marhay70
    Registered Users Posts: 1,913 ✭✭✭Marhay70


    LPT or no, the simple fact is, Wexford Co Co are incompetent. A prime example is refuse collection. Some years ago Wexford Co Co had a monopoly on bin collection and delivered the waste to their own tipheads, they said they could not make it pay and privatised it, selling off the routes.
    Today, there are no fewer than five different private waste collectors operating in my area, charging not very much more than Wexford Co. Co. did and paying tonnage to dump at the tipheads. They all seem to make a profit otherwise they wouldn't still be operating, how is this possible?
    I don't know about ye lads but I've a pretty good idea..


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    #14
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,388 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    The roads in co Wexford are atrocious especially the R roads. You really can't be sure in any way of the surface and consistency, easily the worst in the south east if not the whole country from my experience of driving around. Potholes are liable to appear anywhere and road marking non existant


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    #15
    Marhay70
    Registered Users Posts: 1,913 ✭✭✭Marhay70


    Drove through the village of Hollyfort, near Gorey, the other day, it was like driving through Gaza. At least some of the problems seemed to be caused by builders opening trenches to connect utilities and then just loosely refilling them, heavy rain then washes out the filling and leaves a void you could lose a double decker bus in. Surely a requirement could made to cover these with steel plate until such times as permanent reinstatement is made. I understood, although I'm open to correction, that a deposit is required from whomever opens these trenches, to cover the cost of reinstatement should the contractor not do so. This leaves two questions, (1) Why hasn't the builder reinstated the road and reclaimed his deposit (2) failing that why hasn't Wexford Co Co confiscated the deposit and used it to reinstate the road? I often wonder if any inspections are carried out after these works are complete to ensure that public property is returned to its original state, somehow I very much doubt it.


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    #16
    cython
    Registered Users Posts: 4,758 ✭✭✭cython


    Marhay70 wrote: »
    Drove through the village of Hollyfort, near Gorey, the other day, it was like driving through Gaza. At least some of the problems seemed to be caused by builders opening trenches to connect utilities and then just loosely refilling them, heavy rain then washes out the filling and leaves a void you could lose a double decker bus in. Surely a requirement could made to cover these with steel plate until such times as permanent reinstatement is made. I understood, although I'm open to correction, that a deposit is required from whomever opens these trenches, to cover the cost of reinstatement should the contractor not do so. This leaves two questions, (1) Why hasn't the builder reinstated the road and reclaimed his deposit (2) failing that why hasn't Wexford Co Co confiscated the deposit and used it to reinstate the road? I often wonder if any inspections are carried out after these works are complete to ensure that public property is returned to its original state, somehow I very much doubt it.

    As a cyclist, I really hope that this never becomes a requirement, nor indeed even acceptable. I'm all for proper repair being done, and believe it should be a requirement, but steel plate as a road surface is a massive hazard to cyclists and likely also motorcyclists. Metal plates can be very slippery, even when dry, and if either of these classes of road users lose grip on one even wheel it could be game over. Wet manhole covers are bad enough, but at least they can be gone around.


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    #17
    Marhay70
    Registered Users Posts: 1,913 ✭✭✭Marhay70


    cython wrote: »
    As a cyclist, I really hope that this never becomes a requirement, nor indeed even acceptable. I'm all for proper repair being done, and believe it should be a requirement, but steel plate as a road surface is a massive hazard to cyclists and likely also motorcyclists. Metal plates can be very slippery, even when dry, and if either of these classes of road users lose grip on one even wheel it could be game over. Wet manhole covers are bad enough, but at least they can be gone around.
    I reckon if you were to ride your bike into one of these trenches on a dark wet night you'd probably fare less well than if you skidded on a metal plate. Once filled with water they are almost invisible.
    However I take your point, fix the bloody road is the best solution.


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    #18
    Cantona's Collars
    Registered Users Posts: 33,709 ✭✭✭✭Cantona's Collars


    I wonder if joined up thinking or simple common sense will prevail in Enniscorthy?

    Currently the stretch of road from Abbey Square to Davis' Mill is being resurfaced,seeing as all the equipment is in situ what's stopping them from fixing the road at the Templeshannon side of the 'Old Bridge',it's in disgraceful condition and it's only a matter of time before there's an accident because of it.


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