OPW & Lagan Construction commended for completing Fermoy bridge works in time
'Credit where it's due' was the reaction of relieved business owners and local councillors in Fermoy this week as they noted that the OPW and Lagan Construction had made good on their word to finish works on the town bridge, therefore removing traffic restrictions before the schools returned.
CO-OPERATION KEY
Speaking on behalf of local retailers and businesses, Noel McCarthy, chairman of the Fermoy Business Action Group, said "They kept their word and that has to be acknowledged. Fair play. Of course there was the inconvenience of it but all concerned are to be commended, the OPW, Lagan Construction, including their traffic management people who operated efficiently and with courtesy throughout. The Gardai did a great job. And business people are to be thanked for their patience and forebearance."
The manner in which the contractor liaised with the business group and local traders also met with his approval. "I hope we can continue that co-operation for the remainder of the works," the FBAG Chairman said.
Mayor Olive Corcoran too was pleased to see the bridge fully reopened and she expressed her gratitude to the OPW and contractor for achieving their deadline.
Councillor Michael Hanley, chairman of the Traffic Management Committee of Fermoy Town Council, also congratulated the team on achieving its forecasted deadline and he thanked Ger Barry, the County Council's senior resident engineer and Lagan boss, James O'Brien in particular, for ensuring the works were done on time.
"It's a tremendous relief to be out of it," confessed the councillor, whose own newsagents business was close to the bridge works. "The intricacy of the works shouldn't be underestimated. It was well executed," he said.
He was vociferous however in his criticism of the Minister responsible and his officials and those in the NRA who wouldn't come to some arrangement with Direct Route to accommodate the works, by incentivising traffic to use the bypass where possible, to avoid gridlock in the town. "It was the one negative in the whole thing. I roundly condemn them for it. It was inexcusable. No thinking outside the box was allowed," he said.
POSITIVE APPROACH
Local councillor Tadhg O'Donovan was another who welcomed the end of the bridge works and he thanked the contractors for pulling out the stops to get the works finished on time for the schools' reopening. "That element of the works was our biggest fear because it's the most congested route. The very positive approach the OPW and Lagan took to planning the works has to be acknowledged,"he said.
Councillor John Murphy, chairman of the Joint Policing Committee, had a special word of thanks for the Gardai and Lagan staff for ensuring the free flow of traffic during the works and the long hours worked by the construction team to ensure that phase of the scheme was completed before the new school term started. "It just goes to show what can be achieved by everyone working together," he commented.
Senior resident engineer, Ger Barry, in turn thanked business people and residents for their patience during what were difficult and complex works and he paid tribute to the Gardai, local authority officials and the Town Council's Traffic Management Committee for their co-operation and assistance throughout.
Published:
Thursday 29th August 7:03pm
