This article is from page 6 of the 2006-08-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
WORK began this week on the preliminary stages of a bypass for Kilrush town.
After more than a year campaigning and lobbying, the local HGV action group saw a new route around the east of the town get the green light.
But while work may be beginning, it is still very much at its infancy stage.
Kilrush area members of Clare County Council, Kilrush town councillors and members of the concerned action group met with senior engineers from the council last week, where it was explained that the bypass must first be part of a constraints study.
The study would look at the environmental impact of such a road in the area. It will also consider the engineering requirements.
The area considered capable of sustaining all heavy goods vehicles travelling to the Moneypoint Station and Roadstone is east of the West Clare capital, stretching from Knockerra Cross to Dunogrogue Cross to west of the Killimer car ferry and on to Ballynote Cross. The neighbouring woodlands will be excluded from the study.
On completion, the study will be put on public display. A decision will then be made whether to upgrade an existing route or build a new road.
Chairperson of the HGV Action Group, Barry Coppley, told The Clare People that while he was happy that some work had begun, the solution to the town’s HGV traffic difficulties was moving at a slower pace than he had hoped.
“We were hoping it would be at road selection stage by now. It is slow but it is moving along,” he said.
With the completion of the road years away, the council and local lobby group are now giving immediate attention to an interim solution, in the form of traffic calming measures.
Clare County Council is currently drawing up plans which will include up to six pedestrian crossings estimated to cost €6,000 each and eight islands costing between €2,000 and €3,000 each.
“Traffic calming measures are not going to solve the problem with the HGVs. They will slow down the traffic but they won’t deter them,” warned Mr Coppley.
The HGV Action group have been lobbying the council to solve the 26year-old traffic problem, which has seen heavy goods vehicles travelling to Moneypoint using the highly populated route through Lower Moore Street and Crawford Street and by St Senan’s Terrace and John Paul Estate.