Councillors call for Louth’s road network to zoom ahead on national funding

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

As the key route within the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor (DBEC) Louth needs an increase in funding to upgrade and maintain the road network, according to a Drogheda councillor.

Cllr. Anne-Marie Ford said that Louth roads bear the brunt of cross-border travel, commuting motorists and an increasing population.

Having submitted a motion to the recent meeting of Louth County Council, Cllr. Ford asked the local authority to write to central government, the Minister for Transport and Minister for Housing and Local Government calling for an increase in the budget for roads of all classifications in Louth.

She told the council meeting that Louth has “a very significant number of new houses, and new residents living in our towns and villages across the county.”

"Drogheda is growing rapidly, and as a result we will see a lot more travel on our roads,” said Cllr. Ford, adding that it is similar to home counties in the UK which are a commuter belt for London as the capital city.

Cllr. Ford said: There is a marked differentiation between the current budget and funding provided for the upkeep of the roads to Louth County Council, and the exceptional amount of traffic on the roads due to it being a commuter county, and its significant location being advantageously placed between Dublin and Belfast.”

She added: “The volume of traffic therefore is higher than in other counties and the wear and tear of our roads happens at a quicker pace than in other counties.”

Cllr. Ford said an increase in funding at national level to Louth County Council would address this.

The motion was seconded by Cllr. Robert Nash, who added that although Louth is regarded as the smallest counties, it is one of the busiest in terms of traffic.

Cllr. Dolores Minogue also supported the motion, saying that Louth has a lot of rural roads and the main road running between Dublin and Belfast.

Cllr. Michelle Hall agreed, adding that statistics are needed to support this request for further funding. She added that the ‘flashing speed’ signs could feed into overall traffic stats from towns and villages in Louth.

She said roadworks are “constant.. as soon as a road is done you need to move on to the next area, and potholes appear everywhere.”

Cllr. Maeve Yore said it was “so important that Louth is supported as part of the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor, as first impressions of any county are really important for people travelling to and from it.”

She added: “I hope the government put their money where their mouth is.”

Cllr. Ford welcomed support for the motion, saying that once evidence was there to “back up what we see anecdotally on the ground,” the council could then approach central government.