*Photograph: Joe Buckley
WORKS IN SIXMILEBRIDGE need an overall view given the locality’s population increase over the past ten years, the village’s sole representative on Clare County Council has said.
Main street in Sixmilebridge was included for an overlay from the Garda station to the bridge in the centre of the town and also from the railway bridge towards Shannon with works scheduled to be completed last month.
Acknowledging the “massive job” done throughout Sixmilebridge as part of Active Travel which saw footpaths and infrastructure improved, Cllr John Crowe (FG) stated. “The town is looking well coming into the Bridge from the Shannon Rd, the whole street is standing out but the one drawback is the surface of the road from the Garda station beyond the Bridge”.
He added, “There is so much traffic going through the Bridge that the roads are getting a real hammering. It would finish off a wonderful job that has been done”. Referencing Sixmilebridge’s growth in population over the past decade, Crowe argued that “an overall view needs to be taken” regarding regular improvements to its infrastructure.
Full support was echoed by Cllr PJ Ryan (IND), “I would agree with everything you have said, it has been going on for a long number of years. At one stage we were told there was a possibility of taking water from Shannon, that’s about ten years ago since that happened. When the road is overlayed, it’s important that somebody doesn’t come along and dig it up”.
Ryan who runs an oil business in Sixmilebridge suggested that calming strips be installed adjacent to the Credit Union. “We’ve had serious compliments for the work done in Sixmilebridge. The traffic from the Newmarket-on-Fergus side is getting slightly caught, they need to be slowed down to give people coming from the junction a chance to get onto the main street, there is the possibility of an accident if traffic from Shannon is not slowed down”.
Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) remarked that it was “beautiful to drive from the Shannon side and see the work done with the footpaths”. He continued, “If it could be finished down as far as Brandon’s Corner, majority of traffic passing my house goes through Sixmilebridge and onto Kilkishen”. Possibility of traffic calming was also questioned by Cllr Crowe.
Senior executive engineer, Tom Mellett reminded elected representatives that commitments were made for traffic calming outside the pharmacy which was progressing and likely to be carried out next year.
“It might help if all approach roads got some traffic calming,” Cllr Ryan suggested to which Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) said he could not support such a scenario, “our hearts are broke in Shannon from all the traffic calming. When you ask Clare County Council to do something you have to be careful what you ask for”.
