RESIDENTS VOICE CONCERNS OVER NEW LINK IN RELIEF ROAD
RESIDENTS in Willow Park, Ashwood Grove, Cois Doire, and neighbouring estates in Gorey have called for safety measures to be put in place in advance of the opening of the new link in the Gorey inner relief road which is due to be open by Christmas. They met Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin last week to highlight their fears.
He said that the completion of the road is a very welcome development for motorists. ‘However, many residents while warmly welcoming it as a necessary development, also want to see proper road safety measures put in place,’ he said. ‘ They expressed deep concern that proper safety measures would be put in place in advance of the very welcome opening.’
He said he was previously contacted by residents in Woodlands Manor who also called for safety measures in the area. He called on the Council to make children’s safety a priority with any infrastructural development in the town.
He welcomed the installation of two ramps in Garden City, and the new roundabout on the Hollyfort Road. ‘A child was knocked down between Ashwood Grove and Willow Park during the summer and further measures are needed in advance of the roads opening, where exposed play areas face on to this already busy road,’ he said.
‘Residents showed me several newspaper cuttings from 2005 and 2006 when it was then reported that the inner relief road would “soon open”,’ he continued. ‘ The residents had the same fears back then and they state that they had been told that adequate safety measures would be put in place and that the open green areas would be fenced from the road.’
Cllr Ó Súilleabháin said that the Hollyfort side of town will see increasing levels of traffic to the four schools in Creagh in the coming years. ‘We could easily see up to 2,000 students in the Creagh area by 2020,’ he said. ‘ The planned extension of the northern inner relief road close to Woodlands Manor and directly out to the N11/Arklow Road will hopefully be in place by then.’
‘At present, Coislinne and Cluainin are used as short-cuts to avoid the Main Street and sometimes Garden City and Éire Street can be like racing tracks,’ he said. ‘Residents’ fears are not unfounded.’