*Dr Daly Park. Photograph: Natasha Barton
BIGGER CROWDS attending matches at the revamped Dr Daly Park in Tulla has been cited in the call to improve sight lines on junctions in close proximity to the grounds.
At a meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District, Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) asked Clare County Council to explore the options that can be implemented to improve the sight lines on the L4082 where it exits onto the R452 and pedestrian movement to the GAA facilities from the junction and to upgrade road markings in the interest of road safety.
Derek Troy, acting senior executive engineer in the Killaloe MD confirmed that the request has been forwarded to the road design section of Clare County Council to review the existing road layout at the junction including sight lines, pedestrian facilities and vehicular turning movements.
He explained, “this assessment will also take into account the operational speed on the R352 in both directions and its strategic importance as a transport corridor. Killaloe MD team will contribute to this review and if deemed appropriate a funding request for measures will be submitted to the Department of Transport under Safety Improvement Works on regional and local roads”.
Several engineers have visited the location on foot of motions down through the years, Cllr Cooney noted and described the sight lines as “dangerous”. He stated, “there has been accidents at the junction in the past, I have been told it’s gone to road design before and a design done as far as GAA facility to junction, I hope it doesn’t stay there too long this time. Road safety is very important, Tulla GAA club have improved their facility by 100%, bigger crowds are coming to matches there and there will be bigger matches in the future. I don’t want it left at road design for long. We wait for a long time to get a response, I don’t want this situation here, I want action. With the Killaloe Bridge and bypass great work is being done and that is going to bring extra traffic here”.
GAA officials in the club have met with elected members including Cllr Pat Hayes (FF). He outlined, “What we have is kids walking from the town to the GAA facility on a very busy regional road, if you park outside the grounds any day, I know the speed van is there but there is a lot of cars travelling at high speed there”. He praised Tulla GAA club for their redevelopment work, “a new car park recently done and managed in such a way that people drive in one way and out another”.
According to Cllr Hayes, most people drive to Dr Daly Park because they are too worried and nervous about letting their children walk on such a busy regional road. “Every single one of the junctions at Tulla are badly managed, there have been accidents there, they are very sharp and not managed well at all, reviewing them all wouldn’t be a bad idea”.
Widening up the review could slow things down, Cllr Cooney warned. “I am calling here today that we work on this junction, I see where Cllr Hayes is coming from and I don’t disagree with him, if we open it up to all junctions when will it be done. Public lighting should also be put from junction to GAA grounds”.
No funding has been allocated for works at the location presently, the senior engineer advised the meeting. “I will follow up to try move the project along. If we were to put in pedestrian facilities from the end of the footpath to the GAA side, that would require a footpath which would take away parking, we have to be careful what we ask for. It’s an 80km/h speed limit, it is a high speed area. A number of different factors need to be addressed”.
These sentiments were acknowledged by Cllr Cooney who suggested road markings could possibly reduce the speed limit.
