EXCLUSIVE

ROAD DAMAGE: Cllr Brendan Cronin highlights the poor condition of the paving on Main Street but a proper repair project would result in the street being closed for up to six weeks. Photo: Grigoriy Geniyevskiy

By Sean Moriarty

Repair works to the paving on Main Street would result in the street being closed to traffic for up to six weeks.

That is according to Killarney Municipal District Engineer John Ahern who was responding to a motion raised by CllrBrendan Cronin at last week’s Killarney Municipal District meeting.

Cronin raised concerns over the condition of the paving on the street. Main Street was refurbished over 10 years ago and the works included the paving of the street, the widening of footpaths and the reduction of car parking spaces from the street’s junction with Plunkett St to Market Cross.

Paving slabs on the street have now become dislodged and are causing a vibration noise every time a vehicle passes over them. The loose paving has become unsightly and some are completely missing and backfilled with asphalt.

“Not alone can you see the loose paving, you can hear it too,” Cllr Cronin told the Killarney Advertiser. “It gives a poor impression of the core of our town.”

Repair works would involve the grouting of the underneath of all paving.

John Ahern explained to the meeting that the grout would need a 28-day traffic-free bonding period for it to cure correctly.

“It has deteriorated a lot in the last couple of months,” Mr Ahern told the meeting. “It will take two weeks to do the works but the bricks sit on a layer of sand and there is a grout on that side that would need 28 days without stress to test and cure. You are looking at a minimum of four weeks without traffic.”