Road dug up just weeks after being resurfaced

A city councillor has slammed as “utter stupidity” the decision to allow a utility company dig a trench across a road in Mervue – less than a month after the road was resurfaced by the city council.

Cllr Noel Larkin said Galway City Council upgraded the surface of the Monivea Road – between Wellpark Grove and Thermo King – in mid-December 2014, which included re-tarring the road and levelling manhole covers with the new road surface.

However, it has been dug up again after Bord Gais (Gas Networks Ireland) were given a permit to dig a trench across this road this month, and Cllr Larkin says permission for these works must have been sought in 2014.

“Surely this work should have been carried out prior to the re-surfacing of the road by Galway City Council. Traffic was disrupted twice on this road within a 30-day period when all these works should have been completed together.

“Apart from the traffic disruptions the road has a trench going across it and will never equal the previous levelled surface,” he said.

He said that further along the Monivea Road, which was also upgraded in 2014, there are sunken manhole covers  – one in particular which is extremely dangerous as it has sunk significantly below road surface.

The sunken manhole cover

“It is a major traffic hazard and will cause a serious accident if action to repair it isn’t taken immediately. But, it appears that there is an ongoing dispute between Bord Gais and Galway City Council regarding who is responsible,” Cllr Larkin claimed.

“My opinion is that Galway City Council should refuse to issue a permit to Bord Gais until this obstacle is repaired or for them both to go 50/50 and save the motorist.

“In future, Galway City Council should liaise with all other service providers in advance of any road re-surfacing,” he said.