Multiple pointless "Roadworks" underway -to spend the last of 2011's budget?

[loaded32]

It has struck me in the past 6 weeks, the huge amount of meaningless and pointless Roadworks that are currently underway in the south east.
Kilkenny in particular..since the end of October, there has been roadworks taking place at one of the main rounabouts on the outskirts of the city where all Wexford direction traffic would be coming from. This morning there was a 40 minute backlog of traffic from this roundabout.
In the 6 week period since these works started, the road surface at the roundabout has been dug up and replaced and they seem to have put new kerbing around the actual roundabout...however it is almost impossible to see what the purpose of this all is.
An alternative route off the M9 through "Danesfort" and would you believe it, a perfectly good road surface is being dug-up there also and replaced..also causing delays and tailbacks etc.
I called Kilkenny Co. Co this morning and they told me that they are putting a path "on the roundabout and new kerbing " !!!! They said the re-surfacing at Danesfort was "overdue".
Is this ridiculous carry on, further proof of the scandalous waste of our money by these local authorities in an attempt to "Spend all the Budget" before the year ends, in order to ensure they get the same amount again next year!!?? Bannana Republic indeed!!

[Aindriu]

It's the 21st Century take on the 'famine roads'.

[sic transit]

The Swords Road was recently beautifully done with a new surface and shiny white lines yet within weeks there are roadworks on it again. What bothers me is the lack of joined up thinking and planning.

[Cassandra Syndrome]

Its always happens at the end of the year as councils do unnecessary work to justify high budgets to rollover for next year. The wonders of Keynesian economics....

Here's a possible solution for the OP

[SideysGhost]

In the last few months before I escaped (15 days ago! Seems like months already), I was up and down to Galway once or twice a week for work, and noticed the same, huge amounts of seemingly-pointless roadworks underway all the way from Galway to the Derry-Donegal border. It seemed a bit strange in a bankrupt country alright.

As you say it's probably a matter of spending the budgets now in the hope of not being cut next year. The wonderful parallel universe of public-sector accounting...

[Mackers]

Some time back I was driving back from Galway and took a "short cut" on a road. As I came to a bend there was a set of temporary traffic boards showing STOP so I stopped and waited............and waited...........and waited. About 10 minutes or so later a man appeared walking towards me around the bend in the road to tell me the people working on the road had left and gone for lunch. They had left the signs up both showing STOP at both ends of the work they were doing. Which was cutting the hedgerows. I was not pleased.

[Spanner Island]

In answer to the Q - Yes.

It happens every year in the fourth quarter, from October on...

And it happens because there is no incentive or reward throughout the public sector to save money and come in under budget. The attitude is if you don't spend it, you won't get it next year...

I'm amazed this kind of crap wasn't one of the first things the 'troika' focused on when they arrived - because this scandalous waste of money and idiotic way of operating should have been tackled years ago.

Then again, the EU tossers are similar animals to our national tossers - living on gravy trains with massive waste and expenses being the norm...

So our only hope was probably the IMF... and they seem to be playing second fiddle to the EU tossers... so we can probably expect more pain while the waste continues...

[Mackers]

Its always happens at the end of the year as councils do unnecessary work to justify high budgets to rollover for next year. The wonders of Keynesian economics....

Here's a possible solution for the OP

Now yer talking. Make my day.

[daveL]

Pretty much all of Dublin City Centre and surrounds has been resurfaced in the last few months..

It's the same old, spend it or risk losing it crap that local government are known for

Down where we live in Sandyford, almost all roundabouts have traffic lights now after the last three month's efforts

I can definitely say they weren't needed

[loaded32]

Pretty much all of Dublin City Centre and surrounds has been resurfaced in the last few months..

It's the same old, spend it or risk losing it crap that local government are known for

Down where we live in Sandyford, almost all roundabouts have traffic lights now after the last three month's efforts

I can definitely say they weren't needed

Realy?? Isnt it a disgrace!!! If they clamped down on this scandalous waste, they wouldnt need the household charge fgs!!!