Farmers have set up a series of blockades on the M11 motorway extension in Wexford, as frustration with contractors BAM reaches boiling point.
On Wednesday, farmers blocked the road being built for half an hour. This blocked the project headquarters from the motorway. It was the third blockade in less than a week, throwing the €370m project into chaos, and follows a one-day picket in August.
The blockade was lifted following the agreement by BAM to enter into talks with farmers.
Last Thursday, drystock farmer Henry Deacon put farm machinery across the motorway at Knockrobin, Camolin. This is near the northern end of the M11 extension works that will bypass Camolin, Ferns and Enniscorthy. Months of complaints and requests for progress around a range of issues had yielded no clarity for them. The issues included the entrance to an underpass. Cattle would be coming around a sharp bend to the underpass, with only a wire fence to prevent them breaking through next door.
IFA south Leinster chair Tom Short meets representatives of BAM construction at the site of the M11 in Tinnacross, Co Wexford. \ Pat O'Toole
The Deacons want a wall erected for animal and personal safety. An attenuation pond was also both overflowing and seeping into their land.
On Saturday, landowners met in Enniscorthy at a meeting hosted by the IFA.
Wexford chair James Kehoe pledged the support of IFA members for whatever action landowners decided to take. An ad-hoc committee was formed, and the list of issues compiled.
On Tuesday, the group decided to take direct action, and blockaded the motorway at Oulartard, about halfway down its 27km length. This walled off the works from the on-site cement plant providing the road materials, and halted work.
Read more
Watch and listen: second motorway roadblock by Wexford farmers
Road contractors BAM pushing Wexford landowners to the brink
Wexford farmers blockade motorway construction
Farmers have set up a series of blockades on the M11 motorway extension in Wexford, as frustration with contractors BAM reaches boiling point.
On Wednesday, farmers blocked the road being built for half an hour. This blocked the project headquarters from the motorway. It was the third blockade in less than a week, throwing the €370m project into chaos, and follows a one-day picket in August.
The blockade was lifted following the agreement by BAM to enter into talks with farmers.
Last Thursday, drystock farmer Henry Deacon put farm machinery across the motorway at Knockrobin, Camolin. This is near the northern end of the M11 extension works that will bypass Camolin, Ferns and Enniscorthy. Months of complaints and requests for progress around a range of issues had yielded no clarity for them. The issues included the entrance to an underpass. Cattle would be coming around a sharp bend to the underpass, with only a wire fence to prevent them breaking through next door.
IFA south Leinster chair Tom Short meets representatives of BAM construction at the site of the M11 in Tinnacross, Co Wexford. \ Pat O'Toole
The Deacons want a wall erected for animal and personal safety. An attenuation pond was also both overflowing and seeping into their land.
On Saturday, landowners met in Enniscorthy at a meeting hosted by the IFA.
Wexford chair James Kehoe pledged the support of IFA members for whatever action landowners decided to take. An ad-hoc committee was formed, and the list of issues compiled.
On Tuesday, the group decided to take direct action, and blockaded the motorway at Oulartard, about halfway down its 27km length. This walled off the works from the on-site cement plant providing the road materials, and halted work.
Read more
Watch and listen: second motorway roadblock by Wexford farmers
Road contractors BAM pushing Wexford landowners to the brink
Wexford farmers blockade motorway construction
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