Memories: 1988 - Ennis Road expects quieter life with bridge

Ennis Road awaiting a quieter life with bridge

the new Shannon bridge, currently nearing completion, will take half the traffic at present crossing Sarsfield Bridge, according to computer predictions made by Limerick Corporation.

City engineer Michael MacCurtain is now happy that the new target opening date will be met and that traffic will be crossing the new £3.24 million bridge by May.

At a recent meeting of the protocol committee of Limerick City Council, it was agreed that the bridge - the third across the Shannon in Limerick city - will be named the Shannon Bridge.

A new one-way street programme will also be introduced when the bridge opens which will see a portion of O’Connell Street designated one-way.

It is anticipated that the advent of the third bridge will greatly ease traffic congestion on the Ennis Road during rush hour.

Over 4km of new road has also been constructed at a cost of over £3 million to connect the new bridge to the Ennis Road at Clonmacken.

A new roundabout will also form part of the traffic network at the Dock Road and this is where the bulk of the work has to be carried out at present.

All four FF members now want to be mayor

fianna Fail’s Cllr Larry Cross wants to be the next Mayor of Limerick and is prepared to fight his three party colleagues on the City Council for the coveted post.

It is now certain that a Fianna Fail councillor will be the next Mayor of Limerick.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail entered into a mayoral voting pact three years ago, agreeing to rotate the post between the parties. Rumours had emerged in recent weeks that Fine Gael were contemplating throwing in their lot with the PDs. Their combined vote would have a majority on the council but FG and PD sources have indicated to the Leader that an alliance is “not on”.

With the voting pact intact, the battle for the position of mayor is now an internal Fianna Fail struggle. The party has four members on the City Council and all four - Larry Cross, Paddy Madden, Jack Bourke and John O’Connor - have indicated that they want the job.

O’Connor, Madden and Bourke were first into the race but now Cross has joined them and an intriguing battle between the four looms.

Crime s-pree during St Patrick’s Day parade

SCORES of visitors to Limerick for the two big parades of the last few days were robbed by young criminals who snatched handbags and broke into parked cars.

Confirming an increase in such crimes over the past few days, Henry Street gardai said a woman going to confession left her purse in a pram and came out from the confessional to find this and £110 missing.