Roadworks chaos after Louth schools return ‘an own goal every year’

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

Roadworks projects should be completed in the summer months in a bid to prevent traffic chaos once schools return in September, Dundalk Municipal District heard.

Cllr. Sean Kelly told the meeting it was unfair that some roadworks projects were just getting underway as schools returned from summer break.

Traffic congestion was a major issue once again in the town centre, he said, when schools returned, with roadworks not finished.

He said there were additional works planned at the Lisdoo, although he understood some of this would be carried out at night. But works at Stapleton Place continued during the day just as schools were back.

Cllr. Kelly said he understood that the local authority had a “tight window of opportunity when the funding is released” and asked if it could be built into tender documents that projects could be finished before schools return.

“It is a persistent problem every year when the schools are back and we see roads still being worked at. It’s an own goal, and people are jumping up and down giving out that there is nothing happening all summer until schools back. It’s just bad PR for the council overall.”

The meeting heard that Louth County Council would work with contractors to try to prevent projects running over into the back to school season.