Seems like no one can get along with Kilkenny Co CO

Bards

Not only are they arguing with Waterford City Council about the Boundary Extension, now they are arguing over their Ring Road Extension with the Contractor.


Taken from the Kilkenny People
=======================
Bitter dispute stops construction on ring road for weeks
A BITTER dispute has stopped work on the extension to the city's ring road.

Progress on the single most important piece of infrastructure for the development of Kilkenny is at a standstill.
There has been a complete breakdown in communications between the parties involved.
The contractors, Regan Civil Engineering Ltd, Straffan, Co Kildare, and the project managers Kilkenny Co Council are not talking as the rift continues to grow.
The 4.2 kilometre stretch of road which would alleviate traffic and open up huge tracts of land for development was to have opened to the public in May 2007.
There has been no major work on the road for the last six weeks, meaning that it will be at least three months late, provided both sides settle their differences and come to the negotiating table now.
They may have little choice as Deputy John McGuinness (FF) says he will not sit idly by and allow tax payers' money to be wasted.
"As vice-chairman of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee I will be making sure both parties are brought before the Dáil to find out what is really happening and to make sure work restarts as soon as possible," he said.
Neither side in the log-jam is prepared to talk with the very real threat of legal action hanging in the air.
Kilkenny Co Council held a briefing session on Monday with members of Kilkenny County Council. Tom Gunning, director of services, outlined "progress to date" on the ring road contract.
It is reported that he confirmed there had been a complete breakdown in communications.
A council statement said that the local authority: "is satisfied that it has fulfilled all of its obligations to date under the contract."
No comment
Regan Civil Engineering said it would not comment because it has a contract with Kilkenny Co Council.
An unidentified spokesman added that the company would be buying the Kilkenny People to see what the paper had to say.
Deputy McGuinness is fuming because the delay will, he claims, have serious knock-on effects.
He called on the local authority to take the lead role in what was a partnership and ensure the road extension was completed on time and on budget.
"Not only will the ring road suffer but it seems that the ESB project to upgrade its network as part of the scheme will suffer too," he said.

Freddie59

Bards wrote:

Not only are they arguing with Waterford City Council about the Boundary Extension, now they are arguing over their Ring Road Extension with the Contractor.


Taken from the Kilkenny People
=======================
Bitter dispute stops construction on ring road for weeks
A BITTER dispute has stopped work on the extension to the city's ring road.

Progress on the single most important piece of infrastructure for the development of Kilkenny is at a standstill.
There has been a complete breakdown in communications between the parties involved.
The contractors, Regan Civil Engineering Ltd, Straffan, Co Kildare, and the project managers Kilkenny Co Council are not talking as the rift continues to grow.
The 4.2 kilometre stretch of road which would alleviate traffic and open up huge tracts of land for development was to have opened to the public in May 2007.
There has been no major work on the road for the last six weeks, meaning that it will be at least three months late, provided both sides settle their differences and come to the negotiating table now.
They may have little choice as Deputy John McGuinness (FF) says he will not sit idly by and allow tax payers' money to be wasted.
"As vice-chairman of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee I will be making sure both parties are brought before the Dáil to find out what is really happening and to make sure work restarts as soon as possible," he said.
Neither side in the log-jam is prepared to talk with the very real threat of legal action hanging in the air.
Kilkenny Co Council held a briefing session on Monday with members of Kilkenny County Council. Tom Gunning, director of services, outlined "progress to date" on the ring road contract.
It is reported that he confirmed there had been a complete breakdown in communications.
A council statement said that the local authority: "is satisfied that it has fulfilled all of its obligations to date under the contract."
No comment
Regan Civil Engineering said it would not comment because it has a contract with Kilkenny Co Council.
An unidentified spokesman added that the company would be buying the Kilkenny People to see what the paper had to say.
Deputy McGuinness is fuming because the delay will, he claims, have serious knock-on effects.
He called on the local authority to take the lead role in what was a partnership and ensure the road extension was completed on time and on budget.
"Not only will the ring road suffer but it seems that the ESB project to upgrade its network as part of the scheme will suffer too," he said.

I think what's at the root of this is probably the way contractors are chosen (not saying that this particlar contractor is the cause of this particular problem) by County/City councils. It seems that particular contracts are advertised and never finished within an agreed timeframe and on budget.

Take Eyre Square in Galway as an example. How was that allowed happen??!! Here in Waterford the City Centre has been dug up on a regular basis for over five years now. A small stretch of street (Broad Street) which is about 80 metres long and 12 metres wide is currrently being pedestrianised. This is going on for over six months and is still not finished. (they railed some off and threw tar over another section for Christmas).

Now - let's get it in perspective. They're removing the old surface, putting down some cobblelock/kerbing, and laying a few pipes. A six kilometre stretch of dual carriageway was finished in 18 months!! This is 80 metres of existing roadway and they still haven't finished it after 6!!!

Doesn't ANYONE in the local authorities monitor these people and impose levies for not finishing on time? What does it take to enforce a completion clause? Why is it not enforced?

It's just reflective of the incompetence of certain local authorities and the people directly responsible for policing these contracts. Something has to be done.:mad:

merlante

I know, it's ridiculous. I think the problem with resurfacing and pedestrianising parts of the city centre is that you have to make sure it doesn't have to be dug up 6 months down the line, so presumably they get NTL, ESB, Eircom, etc. to make sure all the pipes are laid that might have to be laid. Trying to get all those guys organised is probably not that easy.

Freddie59

merlante wrote:

I know, it's ridiculous. I think the problem with resurfacing and pedestrianising parts of the city centre is that you have to make sure it doesn't have to be dug up 6 months down the line, so presumably they get NTL, ESB, Eircom, etc. to make sure all the pipes are laid that might have to be laid. Trying to get all those guys organised is probably not that easy.

Agreed. But looking at it on a daily basis for the past few months it seems that manpower would be the problem. Some days nothing going on - then two or three working - then nothing again. A project like that should start and even be worked on up to, say, ten at night. They seem to be disrupting trading in the City Centre for what seems like the last ten years.:mad:

merlante

Freddie59 wrote:

Agreed. But looking at it on a daily basis for the past few months it seems that manpower would be the problem. Some days nothing going on - then two or three working - then nothing again. A project like that should start and even be worked on up to, say, ten at night. They seem to be disrupting trading in the City Centre for what seems like the last ten years.:mad:

Indeed, if this isin't the end of it now for at least another 15 years we can feel pretty hard done by!

As I said, the only thing I can think of is that they can't complete the project until various other parties turn up to do their work, which means that even when the builder is ready to go, they can't really do anything while they're waiting.