Storm damage leaves Louth coastal route ‘badly undermined’, councillor warns
A coastal route in mid-Louth popular with sea swimmers remains “badly undermined” following recent storms, councillors were told at the latest meeting of Ardee Municipal District.
Cllr Pearse McGeough said the Salterstown Road is in “bad need of rock armour” to protect it from further erosion, describing the route as a “potential danger” to motorists and other road users.
The scenic route runs along the coast in the Annagassan area of Louth.
“Salterstown has become a hotspot for sea swimmers all year round and there is a lot of people using that particular road,” he said. He asked council officials when repairs and reinforcement works are expected to take place.
Cllr McGeough also requested the installation of a sign along the Ballyoran Road warning drivers to “beware of walkers”.
The local councillor highlighted a number of ongoing issues with potholes in the mid-Louth area, including one at Castle Lane, Dillonstown, located beside a field filled with water after recent torrential rain.
He suggested that better drainage in some fields could help prevent further deterioration of local roads.
Cllr John Sheridan also sought a general update on Louth County Council’s pothole repair strategy, noting that roads in Fieldstown had been “exposed” during the latest storms.
Cathaoirleach Cllr Dolores Minogue raised similar concerns, describing the condition of Curraghbeg on the Shanlis Road as “extremely bad”. She said the route is heavily used by traffic heading into Ardee and by those accessing the local school and graveyard.
She queried whether the new “hot box” machine used by repair crews in Dundalk was also being deployed in the Ardee district.
Responding to councillors, Senior Executive Engineer Enda Murphy confirmed that Louth County Council has applied to the Department of Transport for over €1 million in funding to repair storm damage countywide. He said it may take up to six weeks before a decision is issued.
Record levels of rainfall have contributed to a surge in potholes, he explained.
The council is prioritising repairs on national roads before moving on to regional and local routes. Mr Murphy warned that fixing all damage will “take a number of months” and will depend heavily on weather conditions.
He said road crews are aware of most problem areas and that standing water on roads and fields continues to be a major challenge.
The council is in communication with the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Inland Fisheries regarding the cleaning of local rivers, which can only be carried out between March and September outside the fishing season.
Mr Murphy confirmed that the new hot box is already being used in the Ardee area and that the pothole patching machine will return shortly.
He added that a new warning sign on the Ballyoran Road will be installed in the coming days.
The condition of Curraghbeg will be looked, he said, as road repairs are carried out in the area.