A round-up of conditions countrywide
WEST
ROAD CONDITIONS are expected to be very hazardous across much of the west today, with forecast overnight temperatures of minus 6 degrees. Snow showers persisted across much of the province, with Mayo sustaining some of the heaviest falls. The M6 Galway-Dublin motorway was reduced to a single lane from the county border at Ballinasloe east through the midlands. In Mayo, schools were closed, and Christmas parties and bingo sessions cancelled as ice-hit towns became largely deserted.
Knock airport reported an overnight two inch blanket of snow and there were further falls yesterday, requiring constant runway clearance by maintenance teams. Mayo County Council reported salt shortages in their bid to keep national primary routes and regional roads open.
LORNA SIGGINS and TOM SHIEL
NORTHWEST
Many parts of Derry, Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim were covered in up to six inches of snow as gales created blizzard-like conditions in many places. But with the National Roads Authority limiting the supply of salt, many roads have not been treated. Donegal County Council, which has just 1,000 tonnes of salt left, has been forced to salt just 370 kms of its primary routes compared with the 1,200 kms it treated last week.
Senior roads engineer Vincent Lynn said they have had no option but to contain the amount of salt they are using. Toni Forrestor, chief executive of Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce, put the blame squarely at the door of the NRA for not providing enough salt to treat roads. Shipquay Street in the centre of Derry, one of the steepest shopping streets in Europe, proved particularly difficult for motorists whose cars spun while trying to drive up or down the street. Several vehicles were also damaged in Clarendon Street as cars skidded out of control. The main road between Derry and Belfast at Glenshane Pass was only passable with care. GEORGE JACKSON and STEPHEN MAGUIRE
SOUTHWEST
Heavy early morning snow showers in Kerry saw rapid deterioration on roads and driving conditions. Miles of tail backs developed on the main Killarney to Tralee N22 with traffic at a crawl along the Brennan’s Glen area from 8am to 10.30am until salt and grit trucks arrived.
At Farranfore village, midway on the N22 route, cars were being abandoned, and two articulated trucks which failed to get up the hill blocked the main route and had to be towed by tractors.
Meanwhile, parts of west Cork were covered in snow yesterday, including Bantry, Glengarriff and Castletownbere. Much of the grit work around Cork city had taken place before the first snowfall began in the city at around 4pm.
The council announced plans to carry out salting and gritting on main traffic routes over the weekend while the city centre was gritted in a bid to keep shops and businesses open for the final pre Christmas shopping weekend.
More than 100 grit collection points have been established around the city and county for members of the public.
ANNE LUCEY and LOUISE ROSEINGRAVE
MIDLANDS
Salt supplies are running low in the midlands where snowfall and freezing conditions are leading to concerns over road conditions for the weekend. Offaly County Council has said they will endeavour to keep all priority routes salted and clear today.
However, “because of the low salt stocks in the county at present no such guarantee be given for Sunday at this time.”
Westmeath County Council has a “very limited stock of salt” and this will be used on the priority routes. A mixture of salt and grit or grit only will be used on other routes. Water conservation is also in operation in Westmeath.