At least £6 million has been spent on improving roads along the Tour de France route in Ireland by local authorities, with EU and Department of Environment support.
The largest investment has been on the second stage route between Enniscorthy and Cork. South East Tourism estimates that over £3.5 million has been spent on road improvements by the five local authorities in its area.
"If it was like this all the time, local authority budgets would be bust," said Mr Gary Breen, marketing manager of the tourism body. "They are spending next year's budgets now, and carrying out roadworks in half the time."
One of the largest projects in the area has been the £1 m resurfacing of 4,500 m of road between Enniscorthy and Clonroche. The bridge and road into New Ross has been resurfaced at a cost of £100,000 and £70,000 spent on road improvements in Glenmore, Slieverue, Piltown and Fiddown.
The expenditure has been welcomed locally, although some have asked why it has taken the Tour for age-old potholes to be filled.
"There is a feeling that these below-par roads should have been dealt with anyway," admitted Mr Breen. "But overall, the local people are thrilled by the improvements and accept that if it takes the Tour to bring about the changes then so be it."
In Wicklow over £1.5 million has been spent on road improvements for the first stage, with expenditure concentrated on scenic, mountain routes.
Mr Tony O'Neill, Tour co-ordinator for Wicklow County Council, said "some of the roads, particularly the secondary roads, were planned to have been done anyway because of their high scenic amenity value and because they collect a high degree of traffic. They were to be done as part of a five-year road programme. All we did was bring that forward."
He said the investment was "only a drop in the ocean" compared to the council's annual road budget of nearly £100 million. While the county council had to pay for the improvements itself, it would be able to recoup as much as two thirds of the cost from the EU and the Department of the Environment, he said.
Over 40 km of Co Wicklow roads have been resurfaced for the race, including nine km between Rathdrum and Laragh, 12 km between the Wicklow Gap and Hollywood and 10 km between Hollywood and Blessington. On the east coast, six km between Ashford and Rathnew have been resurfaced with further improvements at the entrance to Arklow.
The approach road to the King's River Bridge in the Wicklow Gap has been widened and drainage works have taken place near Glendalough to remove surface water from the road. Routine grass verge and hedge trimming has also been put forward to coincide with the Tour.
Mr Conor Faughnan of the AA said the improvements highlight the need for greater investment in roads. "If Germany or Holland was hosting the Tour they would have to spend relatively little to prepare their roads."
Despite the fact that most of the improvements were concentrated on secondary and non-national roads, he said the spending was justified given that the Government had generated almost £1 billion in additional tax revenue last year.
"Spending a disproportionate amount on some secondary roads may rankle with people in Cavan or Mayo or Galway but we can afford it at the moment. We also have in this country a disproportionate amount of secondary roads, some of which carry a volume of traffic comparable to primary roads."
Figures for road improvement expenditure in Dublin and Cork will not be available until after the Tour but it is believed they will total at least £1 million.
