A section of one of the busiest roads in the Republic, which has been sinking in places for several years, will be closed for the next three months as Clare County Council carries out what it has described as "routine preventative maintenance".
The council has confirmed, however, that despite the subsidence, which is clearly visible on a one-mile stretch of the Limerick-Shannon dual-carriageway, "there is no danger of the road collapsing".
Clare county engineer Tom Carey said there was concern that during the winter months, when conditions were poor with snow and ice, the problem could worsen.
It is also believed that heavy vehicles are taking their toll on the road.
Funded by the National Roads Authority, the project is being undertaken by Clare County Council.
The roadworks will be carried out on the N18 national primary road just south of Bunratty, and should be completed by the end of August.
As a result, both sides of the Limerick to Shannon and Shannon to Limerick carriageways will be reduced to single lanes as a contra-flow system is introduced to bypass the works.
Mr Carey added: "This is routine preventative maintenance. There is no danger of the road collapsing, but we are solving the problem now so that we don't have problems in the future."
