All primary roads kept open despite shortage of rocksalt
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ALL NATIONAL primary roads in County Wexford were kept open throughout the most extreme weather conditions in half a century, despite a shortage of rocksalt.
It was a challenging time for everyone including local authorities, motorists and householders but the county managed to cope, according to the senior executive roads engineer Eddie Taaffe.
'We were without rocksalt for a crucial 12-hour period early in the week. We got another supply late on Tuesday evening and spread that on the national roads straight away', he said.
He commended the overseers and outdoor staff for doing an 'excellent job'.
Crews were out from December 16, gritting roads. Some of them were working 18-hour days during the Christmas and New Year period.
Even after the thaw set in this week, outdoor personnel were gritting county roads and junctions where icy patches lingered.
Now begins the task of assessing the level of damage to the roads network caused by the extreme weather.
Early indications are that there is 'extensive damage', revealed the county engineer whose reported advice last week to people living on non-major roads that they would have to 'grin and bear it', was taken out of context, he said.
'The wrong impression was given. I was merely saying that the Council was under pressure to tackle the main thoroughfares at that stage and wouldn't be able to reach on roads and footpaths in outlying areas ', he said.
'It sounded as if I was abruptly telling people to put up with it. That certainly wasn't the case. I understand the hardships people were going through,' he said.
As the snow disappeared, Wexford County Council was facing another weather crisis following a Met Eireann alert for between 40 and 55 millimetres of rain on Tuesday.
