Quarter of a billion plus required to fix Tipperary roads

Tipperary County Council has estimated the cost of bringing all roads in the county up to standard to be in the region of an eye watering €263.3 million.

That figure represents a 74% increase on a similar estimate carried out just three years ago in 2018, indicating the level of deterioration of the 5,700km of roads network in Tipperary.

36.5% of tertiary roads in Tipperary are classified as being red areas with more than a quarter of secondary roads enjoying the same classification - this means that they are in urgent need of attention.

“The news doesn't make for comfortable reading but we are taking measures to get on top of it,” said Roads Director of Services Marcus O Connor this week.

Director of Services Mr Marcus O'Connor

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“It doesn't make for comfortable reading,”- must be the under statement of the decade from Tipperary County Council's Director of Roads, Mr Marcus O'Connor as he commented on a starkly presented picture of the roads of The Premier County this week.

The fact is that 10% of Tipperary's regional roads are classed as being 'red roads' - meaning they are in very poor condition; 17% of local primary roads are red roads; 25.14% of secondary roads are defined as being red; and 36.5% of tertiary roads are also in the category.

The result is that it will take more than a quarter of a billion Euro to bring Tipperary's 5,700 km of roadway up to standard - the exact estimated figure is a whopping €263.3million - an increase of 74% on a similar estimate undertaken just three years ago in 2018 when the figure amounted to €196.3million.

The news delivered to members of the council at a special workshop by officials James Murrary and Liam Brett, left them gobsmacked and there will be difficult decisions to be made going forward if the council is to get on top of the deteriorating roads situation.

Officials are determined to do so though with Mr O'Connor saying: “The roads network in our county is not in a good place and we need to take measures now and do something about it. We have a four step approach in mind to deal with this,” he said.

The steps involve putting a new quality management system in place; better practice for testing and monitoring; material testing; and a change to the current investment model, to targeted investment interventions.

94% of Tipperary's roads have been surveyed over the last three years to help determine the extent of the problem and it was revealed that roads should be returned to, after improvements, following a twenty year period. However, in Tipperary, the return time for major work is more like forty years and this results in far more work having to be done to the same roadway.
While a fall-off in funding during the recession and austerity years is being blamed in part for the lack of investment, there has been in the region of €160million invested in Tipperary roads since 2017 and the annual allocations and grants are increasing year on year thereby helping the situation.

But, as the allocations rise, so too does the cost and the council engineers have decisions to make on work practice with some jobs - spend more on better works and get a longer term return from the investment, but limit the amount of work that can be done. Or, try to get more work done for the money allocated but at a lower spec, thereby guaranteeing at that the quality won't last as long. It's a real balancing act.

“Our current system of work is just not sustainable because our roads are of such a poor standard. We are the second worst in the country and we are effectively trying to play catch-up. Something has to give,” said Cathaoirleach, Cllr Michael Smith.