12 September 2020
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
A new grader, two 26 tonne trucks and three automated gritters are the latest additions to join Cork County Council’s Fleet in 2020. With responsibility for 12.5% of the entire national road network, Cork County Council has a 700 strong vehicle fleet, the second largest in the country (Cork County Council is the largest local authority, when measured by geographic area), and has invested €11.7m in capital replacement of its fleet in the last five years.
Cork County Council’s West Cork plant/depot at Skibbereen. Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley, Mayor of the County of Cork with Mike Murphy, truck driver Cork County Council in the new 26 tonne tipper truck, one of the latest additions to join Cork County Council’s Fleet. Pic: Brian Lougheed
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, welcoming the news, commented;
“Cork County Council invests in fleet replacement and in improving machinery to help deliver one of its core services, maintaining our extensive road network here in Cork to a safe and high standard. The new automated gritters, replacing the manual gritters, are safer for employees to operate which is also good news.”
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey said;
“These additions to our fleet are timely following recent severe weather events which gave rise to extensive damage to some of our county roads. About 10km total of road surface were impacted by flooding in August and in need of remediation. Each year Cork County Council carries out maintenance and repair work on the 12,000km road network in County Cork through the annual Roads Programme valued at €50 million. Much of this work is carried out directly by our Council fleet. Investment in capital upgrades ensure vehicles and machines are efficient and reliable to deliver on this roads programme.”
Cork County Council strengthens approximately 280km of road every year with structural overlay and sealing using graders, with works carried out from February to November. The new grader added to the fleet is valued at €335,000. The Council fleet of 58 trucks ranging in size from 10 tonnes to 26 tonnes, carry out surface dressing, road improvement works and winter maintenance.
Cork County Council’s West Cork depot at Skibbereen. Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley, Mayor of the County of Cork (left) and Eileen Coleman, Fleet Manager, Cork County Council with one of the latest additions to join Cork County Council’s Fleet. Pic: Brian Lougheed
Cork County Council’s West Cork plant/depot at Skibbereen.
From left: John Tobin, Plant Store Supervisor, Skibbereen; Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley, Mayor of the County of Cork; James O’Donovan, Store Supervisor, Machinery Yard, Victoria Cross, Cork; Eileen Coleman, Fleet Manager, Cork Co Co and John Ahern, Area Engineer, Skibbereen.
Pic: Brian Lougheed
Cork County Council has invested €300,000 on two new trucks for the fleet in 2020, which will carry chips and wetmix to road works sites throughout the year, supplying the graders and chip spreading vehicles. Three new automated tailboard gritters for spreading chips for sealing were also purchased by the Council this year, at a cost of €100,000.