Trucks and bridge heights

Madam, - The photograph (July 1st) showing a lorry wedged under a railway bridge in Killarney last year is not surprising - nor…

Madam, - The photograph (July 1st) showing a lorry wedged under a railway bridge in Killarney last year is not surprising - nor is CIÉ's complaint of a 20 per cent increase in such events.

In most of the rest of the "developed world", road resurfacing is preceded by the removal of some old surface to give a key to the new. Not so in Ireland, just pile a new surface on top of the old! This leads to two results: 1) the raising of the road level - and since many of these bridges derive from the "donkey-and-cart" days, they have very little height to play with; 2) having no key, the new surface lifts and breaks, starting a new generation of potholes.

Last year, our Government took €2 billion from the vehicle owners/drivers in Ireland and put back €1 billion into the roads. It is time the rest of the country supported the motorists - for a change! - Yours, etc,

CAL HYLAND, Roscarbery, Co Cork.