Galway Council invests €1.1m in winter-ready fleet

Galway County Council has expanded its vehicle fleet to strengthen road maintenance across its five Municipal Districts and to increase capacity for treating national secondary and regional roads during the winter months.

The council has taken delivery of three new 26-tonne Renault tipper trucks at a cost of €600,000. The vehicles, supplied by Setanta Vehicle Sales North Ltd in Dublin, will support the delivery of the annual roads programme at district level.

In addition, funding of just over €500,000 from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has allowed the purchase of two permanently mounted salt spreaders with brine-spreading capability. These vehicles form part of the council’s winter service fleet, which plays a key role in keeping strategic routes open during severe weather.

Last winter, more than 1,300 kilometres of the Galway road network were treated, with over 8,000 tonnes of salt spread as part of winter operations.

Uinsinn Finn, Director of Services, said the funding reflected the ongoing need to modernise and upgrade the fleet.

“Our teams work in all conditions to keep the road network safe and operational. Having the right, modern equipment is essential if we are to maximise their ability to do the job effectively. These new trucks will improve efficiency in day-to-day roadworks and allow us to treat more routes, more quickly, during winter weather events. The support from TII has been crucial in enabling us to make this upgrade,” he said.