South Mayo bridge is ‘highly dangerous’
Cllr Patsy O'Brien at the dangerous bridge at Brownstown, Hollymount.
A South Mayo councillor has described as "highly dangerous" a bridge that was omitted from a council repair programme.
At last week’s Roads and Sustainable Travel Strategic Policy Committee, Cllr Patsy O’Brien said the bridge at Brownstown, Hollymount is in a dangerous state.
“Young people pass this on a daily basis going to school. This bridge has no wing wall and there is a seven or eight-foot drop,” he said.
“It didn’t meet the criteria for funding. There is not enough funding being put into bridge renewals. It is a disappointment that six bridges in this county were turned down and we have to now reapply again in September. Six bridges is a lot.”
Cllr O'Brien said there is a real risk to human life at this location.
“One life lost would be too much, God forbid anything were to happen. The people of the area are very annoyed about it,” he added.
The council's Acting Head of Roads Conrad Harley said he understood Cllr O’Brien’s disappointment but it was a matter of funding.
“The allocation we get year-on-year on bridge repairs and renewals is a similar figure but the amount of work changes every year,” he explained. “I will talk to the Road Design Office about it to see what can be done,” he added.
