Extensive repairs to the bridges of Co Kerry - largely because of the toll of heavy goods vehicles crossing them - will prove a major drain on resources this year, the head of the county's roads' department has warned.
Almost one in five heavy goods vehicles monitored by gardaí on Kerry roads last year were found to have been overloaded, according to figures in a report circulated to councillors by Kerry County Council.
Already suffering from a drop of some €4.5 million in Government funding - mainly affecting the county's national road network for this year - the 3,000 bridges on the non-national network urgently needed more money, said Paul Stack, director of services for roads in Co Kerry.
Four of the bridges, all located in the south of the county, including two near Caherciveen and the stone-arched Gaddagh bridge near Beaufort, will cost almost €2 million to restore.
There have been warnings, too, about the bridge at the entry to the town of Killorglin.
A bridge in the north of the county collapsed earlier this year under the weight of a truckload of pigs. This is now before the courts.
Mr Stack said that money which would otherwise be spent on road improvements would have to go towards the bridges of Kerry.
"This trend is likely to continue in the context of the amount of heavy goods vehicles using bridges on the non-national network and the age and construction of these bridges," he explained.
An increase in Garda activity in monitoring goods vehicles has led to 17 separate prosecutions and fines of €25,450 for overloaded vehicles, a meeting of the county council has been told.