An “extremely dangerous” stretch on the Quin Road will not be addressed until funding from the Department of Transport becomes available.
As she sought on update on attempts to acquire land at Keevagh in Quin, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) highlighted the need for improvements on the narrow stretch of road. She admitted that the Department of Transport failed to provide funding and that efforts must be made to have the site ‘shovel ready’ for when funding is finally available.
Topographical surveys were conducted on the R469 in Keevagh during the summer, senior executive engineer John Gannon confirmed. “This type of road improvement project is funded by the Department of Transport under a particular grant allocation namely ‘Specific Improvement Grants’. The Department’s focus for the forthcoming year is towards Active Travel Initiates. Support for specific improvements grants will be subject to funding availability”.
He outlined that the road design office of Clare County Council would progress options to bring it to a shovel ready stage when funding becomes available.
Mayor of Clare, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) seconded the motion and referenced his own pursuit of improvements at the site, which he first brought to the Ennis MD’s attention in 2017. “It’s an extremely dangerous stretch of road. I would regularly go down to Quin on my bike or in my tractor. When I’m in my tractor, I can really see the fear of God being struck in the eyes of the people coming against me. I have nearly seen people going in over ditches.”
