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Inishowen in grip of big chill
29.11.10
by Linda McGrory
DONEGAL County Council has said it has enough
gritting salt to cope with the unseasonably cold
weather that has affected the county's 1,070km
network of national primary, national secondary and
regional roads.
Donegal senior roads engineer, Vincent Lynn, said
some 23 gritting lorries were concentrating their
efforts on 24 winter routes around the county as
well as emergencies on minor roads as they arise.
Buncrana Town Council crews meanwhile, were looking
after the roads around the seaside town.
Mr Lynn said a temperature of -8C, a record for
November, was recorded on Saturday night at the
council's weather station at Grianan of Aileach near
Burt. He said the worst affected road in Co Donegal
overnight was Barnesmore Gap on the main N15 between
Ballybofey and Donegal Town. The roads around
Drumfries and Umricam were also particularly badly
hit. |
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Conor McLaughlin, aged 9, enjoys some
snow sliding in Greencastle. |
"All main roads are
passable but last night at our Grianan of Aileach
weather station, the temperature dropped to -8C.
That was the lowest I have ever seen it for the end
of November," said Mr Lynn.
He said his gritting teams were working continuously
throughout the county from around 6am each day to
keep the roads passable while the situation was
being monitored around the clock.
"The roads are generally bad and the temperatures
are very low. All over the county we were hitting
-5C and -6C but the lowest was at Grianan of Aileach
which would indicate that the north of the county
got it worse than the south of the county.
"The winter gritting routes are our priorty routes
and then we do emergencies after that."
The Donegal County County senior roads engineer said
his teams were expecting the hazardous conditions to
continue for the rest of the week, at least. He said
the council's salt barns at depots throughout the
county including Carndonagh and Bridgend, were
filled to their capacity of 5,000 tonnes. Stocks
were being replenished on an ongoing basis from
Irish Salt Mining near Belfast.
"We have adequate salt in stock and we have extra
salt available to us so we don't see a problem in
the immediate term.
"We have stock capacity of about 5,000 tonnes of
salt and we are replenishing that as we use it.
There is no problems of supply at the moment," he
added.
Donegal County Council winter gritting routes:
Route 1 - Moville, Greencastle, Carndonagh
Route 2 - Carndonagh, Buncrana, Ballyliffin, Malin
Route 3 - Muff, Buncrana, Fahan, Quigley's Point
Route 4 - Manor, Bridgend, St. Johnston
Route 5 - Ballybofey, Fintown
Route 6 - Manor, Fintown, Churchill
Route 7 - Ballybofey, Donegal Town
Route 8 - Stranorlar, Letterkenny
Route 9 - Stranorlar, Raphoe, Lifford
Route 10 - Lifford, Carrigans, Manor
Route 11 - Milford, Letterkenny, Rathmullan
Route 12 - Milford, Fanad, Rathmullan
Route 13 - Kilmacrennan, Gortahork
Route 14 - Kilmacrennan, Creeslough, Downings
Route 15 - Bloody Foreland, Gortahork, Bunbeg
Route 16 - Dungloe, Rosses
Route 17 - Glenties, Fintown, Dungloe
Route 18 - Back of Errigal Road
Route 19 - Donegal Town, Ballyshannon
Route 20 - Laghey, Ballintra, Pettigo
Route 21 - Donegal Town, Killybegs
Route 22 - Killybegs, Glencolumbkille
Route 23 - Killybegs, Ardara, Frosses
Route 24 - Ballyshannon, Bundoran Beleek
Buncrana Town Council
Letterkenny Town Council
To view more winter wonderland
photos click here. |
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