CLARE County Council is progressing a funding application to address traffic constraints at the junction of Chapel Street and Main Street in Tulla.
The update was given at the September meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District following a written motion from Leas-Chathaoirleach Cllr Conor Ryan (FG).
Cllr Ryan had called for the council to explore and develop plans to improve traffic management, traffic flow and congestion in Tulla, including consideration of a car park or one-way system.
In a written response, Senior Executive Engineer Declan Flanagan said the council was progressing a funding application under the Specific Improvement Grants Scheme.
He said the proposed project would aim to improve traffic movement, enhance road safety and address ongoing mobility challenges at the Chapel Street and Main Street junction.
The application will be submitted through the council’s Roads Department to the Department of Transport for consideration.
Mr Flanagan also said the need for traffic enforcement had been identified to address illegal parking and improve traffic management in Tulla, particularly along Main Street.
“The Council will continue to assess traffic management requirements in Tulla and examine options that may assist in improving traffic flow and congestion in the future,” he said.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Ryan welcomed the response and said “any and all efforts” were welcome.
He asked what the council intended to do at the Chapel Street junction if funding was made available and said the Tulla Town Team survey could feed into an open debate on the options.
Cllr Ryan said a car park could be of significant benefit to the town and that there was land available which could allow the council to make a business case for one.
He said Tulla was growing, with more houses expected in the coming years, and warned: “The current situation will get worse.”
Cllr Ryan also referred to an earlier motion on traffic wardens and said he hoped to have a warden in place in 2027.
Cllr Pat Hayes (FF), who seconded the motion, said the management of HGV traffic through the town also needed to be addressed.
He said Tulla’s development levies should help resolve some of its infrastructure issues and that the council “can’t stand idly by”.
Cllr Hayes said there needed to be greater transparency, as people did not understand what was happening in the town. He welcomed the surveys but said the junction was where improvement was ultimately needed.
Killaloe Municipal District Meetings Administrator and Senior Executive Officer Eoin Troy said the grant scheme would focus on the junction.
He said the council was not committed to a car park at present but could investigate a one-way system, although there would be arguments for and against such a measure.
Mr Troy said the council would also make a business case for a traffic warden for East Clare.
He said almost €200,000 had been spent on footpaths in Tulla and that the council was continuing to invest in the area.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
