Carnmore Rise, Cornagrade
Following another fierce cold snap, when temperatures dropping well below zero, and the prospect of more cold weather on the way, motorists in the county remain braced for more treacherous driving conditions.
The gritters have been out in force again over recent days but in parts of Enniskillen residents say some roads are being neglected. Cornagrade man Peter Creswell said gritters were noticeable by their absence in his part of town.
“I live at the top of Carnmore Rise and so far this year I have not seen the gritting lorry once. The road was recently covered in ice and so was Drumcor Hill. Have the Council stopped doing it or has the service been privatised where I would not expect a good service. It is a dangerous hill to not grit at all.”
When questioned about the gritting, the Department for Infrastructure said that Drumcor Hill is part of the scheduled network and had been gritted while Carnmore Rise is not part of the scheduled gritted network however a salt bin is provided for use by the local community.
A Department for Infrastructure spokesman continued saying, “the Department salts the main through routes that carry more than 1,500 vehicles per day and, in exceptional circumstances, roads with difficult topography and carrying between 1,000 and 1,500 vehicles per day. Small settlements in rural areas containing 100 dwellings or more have a salted link to the closest part of the main salted network.
“The application of this policy ensures that 28% of the total road network, which carries around 80% of traffic, is salted. Road users are reminded to exercise caution when travelling, particularly when driving on untreated roads.”
Motorists can access this information at www.trafficwatchni.com which can also be followed on twitter.
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