Argus (Appropriate Roads Group)

The Argus was a creature of ancient Greek myth. He had a hundred eyes, some of which were always awake. When he died his eyes were transferred to the wings of the peacock, where they can still be seen today.

In recent weeks a community group has been formed in Cahir. It too is called Argus, and its aim is to have a wide 2-lane roadway built between Cahir and Clonmel.

As you are probably aware, the existing Cahir/Clonmel roadway is of a very poor standard. According to the National Roads Authority back in 1998, this was one of the most urgent roads needing attention in the whole country, and they included it in their backlog list (roads to be tackled their immediately).

While plans were made to improve the road, no actual work was undertaken. Then in 2001, an announcement was made that a dual carriageway is to be built between Rathkeevin (near Clonmel) and Cahir. This dual carriageway Is to link with a motorway running between Cashel and Mitchelstown.

The Argus group was very sceptical of this development and decided to check the National Roads Authority figures. It turns out that currently about 8000 vehicles per day use the Cahir/Clonmel roadway. This is up from 5500 vehicles per day in 1995. This Is exactly in line with the NRA's projections, and they further estimate that the traffic volume in the year 2020 will be about 12,000 vehicles per day and in the year 2040, 13,000 vehicles per day. The NRA therefore recommended that a wide 2-lane roadway he built between Rathkeevin and Cahir. Such a roadway, they indicated, would have plenty capacity for the next forty years and beyond. (A wide 2-lane roadway is like the new stretch built between Cahir and Mitchelstown recently).

However, a cabinet sub-committee (none of whom are road engineers) decided to overturn this recommendation, and so a dual carriageway is to be built instead. 
The consultants who recommend this dual carriageway are saying that it Is needed. But why wouldn't they, when they are being paid 4% of the cost of the roadway. For them, the bigger the roadway they recommend, the more they get paid.

But do the figures stand up? The NRA's original figures are supported by current traffic data. A dual carriageway has a capacity of 45,000 vehicles per day. If it is to run parallel to the existing roadway (as currently recommended) the combined Cahir/Clonmel capacity will be 50,000 vehicles per day. Even in forty years time only 13,000 vehicles per day will use the road. This is over-capacity which will never be used.

 So what will happen? We believe that this project is pie in the sky. It will not happen because the country cannot afford it. According to the consultants a dual carriageway between Rathkeevin and Cahir will cost €40 million. This is based on 1996 estimates, and the true cost will probably be double. The cost of a wide 2-lane roadway is exactly half of  a dual carriageway. At least €20 million will be saved by going with the NRA's recommendation for such a road. I'm sure that you can think of something that €20 million could be spent on in your area.

The concerns of Argus are as follows:

Money will be spent planning an unjustified dual carriageway that will never be completed. The current roadway will remain neglected and dangerous. That the government is already unable to find money for the roads is clear; This year the government could not even afford to pay for all the land being acquired for the Cashel by-pass, not to mention to begin construction. Total funding for all maintenance, repairs, improvements, new roads, secondary roads, tertiary roads etc. for South Tipperary this year is only €14 million. Our council also received the smallest national allocation for local road improvement schemes; just €104,000 for 2002.

Finally given that the government allocated €100 million for roads capital expenditure nationally in 2002, and that the cost of roads development under the National Development Plan will come to €10 billion, it will take one hundred years to complete the road building plan which the government says will be completed in seven years.

In this context we believe that it is silly to plan a dual carriageway for the Rathkeevin to Cahir road. This plan will end up gathering dust, and in the meantime we will be left with a sub-standard roadway.

Argus therefore calls for an appropriate roadway (namely a wide 2-lane roadway) to be built between Rathkeevin and Cahir, either along the existing alignment, or on a new alignment if necessary. We call for a meaningful start, to be made to this project, so that people do not have to put up with the intolerable conditions on one of Ireland's worst pieces of primary route.

If you are interested in Argus have a look at our website at www.theapplefarm.com/n24.htm or keep an eye on The Nationalist and South Tipp Today newspapers for our next meeting. 

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