Residents walking into busy Limerick town 'putting their lives at risk'
Safety concerns were first raised almost two decades ago and volumes of traffic on the road, just outside Newcastle West, have increased significantly since
ACTIVE travel measures to provide safe pedestrian access for residents living on the outskirts of Newcastle West will cost at least €2 million, it has been revealed.
Elected representatives of the Newcastle West Municipal District have selected their preferred option, out of the nine which were initially examined by consultants on behalf of the local authority.
The aim of the project is to provide safe connectivity for residents who are living in a handful of homes along the busy R520, known locally as the Castlemahon Road.
Safety concerns were first raised almost two decades ago and volumes of traffic on the road have increased significantly since, particularly as road users seek to avoid bottlenecks in villages such as Adare.
Briefing councillors at their September meeting, Niall McMenamin, associate director at O'Connor Sutton Cronin, outlined the various options which were examined.
He said the location of the houses close to the River Arra was a complicating factor and that the width of the existing road and hedges means it is not possible to extend the current footpath, which ends just outside the Kinisla Co-op.
Mr McMenamin explained that each of the nine options were graded and assessed and that four were immediately ruled out for various reasons including the potential environmental impact.
“Everything was looked at,” explained senior executive engineer Ben Noonan who said it was up to councillors to agree on their preferred option to allow the project to proceed to the next stage.
Councillors unanimously rejected several options – including two which would have involved installing a new pedestrian crossing on the R520 and another involving reducing the existing road to a single lane with a ‘shuttle’ system.
The option endorsed by councillors includes the construction of a cantilever bridge over the River Arra. At just over €2 million, it is also the most expensive option.
"I’m flabbergasted at the cost,” said Cllr Michael Collins, adding: “How do you cost the price of a life?”
Cllr Collins said action is needed as the discussion about what to do has been ongoing for around 15 years. "You have eight or nine houses where the residents are walking to town and they are literally putting their lives at risk.
“If there is a serious accident there and somebody loses a life, that can’t be costed so this scheme has to be delivered and money has to be found nationally,” he told the Limerick Leader.
"If funding is delivered to the council, we will deliver the project and make that road safe,” he added.