*An artist’s impression of the pedestrian crossing at Clareabbey Roundabout.
PLANS to install a pedestrian crossing at Clareabbey Roundabout “will not be safe for pedestrians or cyclists”.
As part of plans to deliver an Active Travel Scheme on the Clare Rd, an upgraded crossing has been suggested for the Clareabbey roundabout which has been met with strong resistance.
At this month’s sitting of the Ennis Municipal District, a joint motion from Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF), Cllr Paul Murphy (FG), Cllr Mary Howard (FG), Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) and Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) labelled the Active Travel proposal as “unsuitable” and stressed the local preference was for an overpass or underpass.
However during the meeting, Cllr Murphy went “left field” and put forward the case for a flyover at the roundabout.
In their proposal, councillors called on the Department of Transport and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) “to immediately progress and fund the long delayed pedestrian and cyclist safety scheme” at the roundabout. They cited a recent “serious collision involving a cyclist” at the location and the “ongoing health and safety risk” that exists. “The only acceptable solution that ensures both safety and traffic flow is the provision of overpasses and/or underpasses”.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Guilfoyle noted the solutions put forward in the Active Travel scheme “fell short of what the public perception and opinion was”. He added, “In recent correspondence, TII said the County Council has an onus to do X, Y and Z, we need to represent what the people want and what is right at the roundabout, I hope we get a positive reply and cooperation”.
Pledging to “keep fighting the fight,” Cllr Murphy welcomed the united front from councillors. “I’ve spoken to a few road engineers, they have said that under-bridges can attract anti-social behaviour, if that is what we get to make it safe I’d take it, an overbridge though has to facilitate disabled people so it would need a slow rise going up with stopping points for wheelchairs, I’m told by engineers there isn’t enough of room to do that at this location”.
Murphy said, “Clarecastle and Ennis were both let down and let down badly when this was constructed, the main Ennis to Kilrush Rd left untouched because relief road went over it, why the hell was the Clare Rd not left alone and the road going over it, it beggars belief actually”.
Though he had signed his name to the motion criticising some of the proposed measures, the Mayor of Clare had a change of heart when going “left field”. He commented, “This might take twenty years but maybe we should accept the safety measures that are proposed but start a lobby for the road to be constructed across Clareabbey Roundabout. I know it will cost millions but this is our county town and our former county town that we’re talking about. I’m sorry for going left field, a lot of it only came into my head in the last hour”.
“I’m glad it wasn’t me that met the engineers because it would have been a robust conversation on the basis that they have been sitting on this for donkeys years and I’d have asked what part of the donkey department are you working in to suggest the flyover,” Cllr Guilfoyle responded. Cllr Murphy then clarified it was him not the engineers who floated the idea of a flyover.
Arguing that it needed to be either a walk-under or walk-over, Cllr Guilfoyle emphasised that a pedestrian crossing would not be safe for cyclists, pedestrians or motorists. “These pathways will allow people from Clarecastle and Ennis to walk safely and visit Clareaebbey and the Riverwalk, we have to get off our backsides and get something done. This county has ambition under a new CEO to grow industrially and our amount of homes, we have an opportunity to do the right thing”.
Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Howard said since its construction the Clareabbey Roundabout “created a problem”. She felt a raised table similar to what is at Raheen in Limerick “would make a difference here”.
Innovation is required in addressing the problem, Cllr Colleran Molloy felt. “Ennis will continue to grow leaps and bounds, we’re making a variation to the County Development Plan to allow for more houses in Ennis and Clarecastle so the road will only get busier and busier”. Ennis is “nearly cut off from Clarecastle, it is not safe as a walker or cyclist to go there,” Cllr Baker Bashua flagged.
Temporary measures must be installed if solutions will take an inordinate period of time to deliver, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) stressed. “Paul has said before that it is like Mondello Park and it is. It is not safe what we’re proposing and what is worse is that it gives the impression it will be safe, we need to do something but if we give temporary solution, people will now use it. Someone is going to get killed, are we going to allow it? Planning needs to be done”.
Having suggested a Council deputation meet Transport Minister, Darragh O’Brien (FF) to discuss a rail link for Shannon Airport, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) said this deputation should also raise Clareabbey Roundabout in their meeting. “Clareabbey Roundabout is the biggest and busiest roundabout in Co Clare, there is no doubt it is not safe for cyclists and pedestrians, TII sitting on the fence for many years, it is time Minister for Transport intervened and allocated required funding to advance the project”.
