Incompetence Personified By Tipperary Co. Council.

On May 22rd 2024, Tipperary Co. Council announced, through a notice posted here on their website, that the bridge junction, crossing the river Suir, joining Cathedral Street, Emmett St and Liberty Square, [known locally as ‘Barry’s Bridge’ situated on route N75 east out of Thurles, town centre] would close nightly from 7:00pm until 5:00am, for an estimated 8 day period, beginning Monday, June 17th, until Tuesday, June 25th last.

In an email received by Thurles.Info in 2023, from the now retired Tipperary Co. Councils Chief Executive, Mr Joe MacGrath, this resurfacing work had been scheduled for May of 2023, and was already now over one year late.

According to the notice then posted, traffic was initially required to travel along the Mill Road into Littleton village first; then to the Horse & Jockey, before returning to Thurles via the N62; latter a distance of 21.7k (some 13.5 extra miles), instead of using the Archerstown route and onto the N62, close to the rear of Thurles Golf Club.

On June 25th, 2024 Tipperary County Council announced here on their website that they would extend the closure time of this same N75 Thurles Bridge upgrade. Same was to close nightly again, from 19:00hrs (7:00pm) until 05:00hrs (5.00am), from Thursday night, June 27th, 2024 (10 days later) until Friday morning, July 05th 2024 (again 8 days), in order to facilitate this same resurfacing works.

Fact: This work was satisfactorily completed in one night, including the necessary painting of grid lines on the yellow box junction which facilitates Emmett Street.

So it appears that a Computer Administrator, paid by the taxpayer, had been instructed to upload misleading information on two different occasions onto the Tipperary Co. Council website.

But, this is not the worst offence committed.

Tipperary Co. Council Climate Action Plan 2024 – 2029. (See section 2.3 of latter link).
“Identify sites for large scale native and mixed woodland planting and set targets for planting and maintaining native trees in urban and rural areas, to enhance carbon storage; biodiversity and landscape; air quality, and urban heat island mitigation.“

Prior to this truly one night resurfacing upgrade, signs had been erected, supposedly to accurately direct traffic. Some signs, however were totally misleading to motorists and all these signs broke the rules of basic responsible administration.

Res non Verba (Deeds, not Words),

Note: 3 easy drive, flange, self-drilling, stitching screws, with washers, were used to attach each sign. Same stitching screws are normally used to drill into 4mm metal sheets.

The diversion signs have now been removed, as have the Sheet Metal Tech Screws, but just in the last few days.

Three of the signs using these Sheet Metal Tech Screws were attached to 3 living trees, (two on the N62 near Thurles Golf Club and a third near ‘The Source’, opposite Thurles Cathedral on Cathedral Street in the town centre.)

The other plastic signs were attached to zinc coated signposts, with same screws which, no doubt, with the coating now removed, will encourage rust.

The ‘Diverted Traffic’ direction sign on the Cathedral Street Roundabout, diverted traffic directly unto Thurles Bridge, where this imaginary 8 nights of work was due to commence. A short distance further on, near ‘The Source’, some 60 metres from the area to be resurfaced, the sign read ‘End Detour’.
Most resident motorists remain mystified as to these instructions then being offered.

The waste of taxpayers’ money and major incompetence continues.