Road to Heywood needs salting

THE road from Ballypickas Cross to Heywood School must be inlcuded in the council’s salting programme, according to Councillor John Bonham, who said that the stretch of road measuring approximately 2.5km is on a very busy school route.

“There are lots of buses and kids going to Heywood and we have to look after it”, he said. He was supported by Cllr John Joe Fennelly who said that Cllr Fennelly said that such a situation should not happen. He added that in the past he had seen a mini bus driving down sideways on the road when it was icy. “There were 32 kids on the bus that morning”, he added.

Senior executive engineer Michael Malone said that he requested that the road be included on the programme at the start of each salting season.

“It is not formally listed on the winter maintainance programme and is not always done. I have also requested funding for a salter for the western area which would allow us to do this road ourselves but no funding has been received”.

Mr Malone told councillors that there are two options to solve the problem.

“This road is too dangerous and needs to be formally put onto the roads salting programme, or we get €20,000 for a mini salter. The salting programme is hit and miss and I didn’t get the funding for the salter”.