There was a heated exchange this week after the Director of Services for Roads declared that Ardfinnan Bridge was not a priority.
Last month is was announced that the National Transport Authority had removed the local bridge from the list of projects for their Active Travel Programme allocations for 2023.
Cllr. Micheál Anglim says there is anger over the decision especially as €70,000 was spent on consultants who decided on an independent walkway bridge which was then signed off by the council.
At Monday’s meeting a heated discussion broke out after Marcus O’Connor said that he agreed with the NTA’s decision not to prioritise the project or provide funding.
Cllr. Mairín McGrath stated this was a disappointing remark from a Director, while Cllr. Michael Fitzgerald called it a ‘disgrace’.
Cllr. Anglim told Tipp FM he will no longer be speaking about this issue with Mr. O’Connor:
“Okay the Director of Roads what he said at the meeting on Monday, I told him at the time he shouldn’t have said it. He was speaking against Tipperary County Council policy, we had signed off on Option Two he spoke against that. To be fair the Chief Executive I spoke to him a few times on it, he has been very helpful. The Director of Roads he has his opinion on it, I strongly disagree with it, I left him in no doubt that I strongly disagree with him. Going forward I will be dealing with the Chief Executive on this issue.”
He also told the newsdesk that despite this they will continue to fight for progress:
“We have two aces up our sleeve and one of them is that the consultants came down on our side of this argument and the second one is An Bord Pleanála refused planning on the first option. If this bridge was anywhere else, God Damn it if it was in Clonmel or Nenagh it would be done the NTA, it jus seems to be the big towns, the big cities, the villages – ye can paddle your own canoe, but we’re not finished yet not by a long shot.”
