Series of traffic calming measures in Tullamore approved
by Orlaith Delaney
Plans to introduce new raised pedestrian crossings and traffic calming measures in the centre of Tullamore have been approved by Offaly County Council.
The measures will affect the Kilbride Street, Cox's Bridge (Clara Bridge) and Clara Road areas of Tullamore.
The plans were approved on Monday, October 24, following the delivery of a report on the plans by Offaly County Council Director of Services Tom Shanahan, who said no submissions on the proposal had been received from either members of the public or state bodies.
Cllr Declan Harvey queried if the plans had been on display for long enough, as the plans involved a “fair piece of work”, and he was surprised that no submissions had been made.
Mr Shanahan said the plans had been on display from July 25 to August 23, with a deadline for submissions of September 9, which was a standard amount of time for the public display of proposals.
Cllr Sean O'Brien said he saw a lot of signs posted in the area about the plans, so people would have been aware of the proposal. He said the plans would make the area safer for people coming from the Arden View side and for people crossing to the greenway, and added that the priority should be to “keep businesses on Kilbride and Clara St open during the works.”
“That is their biggest fear about the plans.”
Cllr Frank Moran also expressed surprise that there was “no engagement with the process.”
“When projects start rolling out, that's when we get a lot of engagement,” he added.
Cllr Aoife Masterson said the west end of Tullamore town would benefit from these changes. She added that the project would also benefit from better lighting, and said she hoped there would be a reassessment of the town's lighting before the end of the year.
Cllr Tony McCormack also said the project would benefit residents on the west side of town, and said he had wanted to get a pedestrian crossing at the Gala shop “for the kids” trying to cross the road.
The project will see the installation of a new 'gateway entrance' on the Clara Road, which would be designed to signal a new 'slow zone' for traffic in the town centre.
In addition, 'pedestrian priority zones' are to be created, and certain footpaths are to be refurbished or widened.
The proposed new pedestrian crossing points, and associated works, are planned for the Kilbride Street, Cox's Bridge (Clara Bridge) and Clara Road areas. In addition, the existing pedestrian crossing outside the Gala shop on Clara Road will be upgraded to a raised platform-type crossing.
There are a number of additional elements to the traffic calming project, including new realigned footpaths, new kerbing, landscaping works and measures to "discontinue vehicular access to the west side of the Kilbride Park Road".