General Specifications for Road Maintenance

In the mid 1830's following the appointment of the first County Surveyors a "General Specifications for the maintenance of Roads" was drawn up. It made the following recommendations:

Road works

Illustration taken from the Illustrated London News of men working on the road.

Carlow County Library

Road works
Carlow County Library

Road works

Illustration taken from the Illustrated London News of men working on the road.

Carlow County Library

Enlarge image

The Road is to have a surface safe for Carriages, nowhere less than sixteen feet wide and clear of footways.

The Water Tables at each side of this extent are to be kept clear and they are to be six inches below the centre of the road.

The Cross Section, or form of the surface is to be curved or gradually sloped.

All stones appearing over the surface of the road exceeding two inches and a half diameter (or thickness) are to be picked up (not sledged) taken aside and broken. Where those stones are taken up, and in every hollow or weak part of the road, it is to be darned or patched with stones broken to two inches diameter for winter season (from 1st October to 1st April), and to one and a half inch diameter for the summer season (from 1st April to 1st October).

In the winter season the road is to be kept clear of water, by a previous and continued attention to the side channels and outlets from them, and clear of mud by scrapers.

[Other regulations stated that]: All gullets are to be preserved and kept clear, and notice is to be given within one week to the Surveyor of all or any material damage, sudden or otherwise, to the gullets, bridges, and guard walls, or to the road, from any cause whatever.

Persons digging away the sides of the road, or quarrying or digging pits so near the road as to undermine or endanger the fence of the same, or taking materials or scrapings, or stopping the water channels, by making temporary passages into their fields without a sewer, are to be summoned before the Justices at the Petty Sessions in the district, to be there dealt with as the law directs, or Contractor must make good the same.

This document was signed by the County Surveyor [Charles Forth].