WORK TO FINALLY START ON NEW RELIEF ROAD LINK
THE contractor is expected to finally move in next month on the site of the next phase of the Gorey inner relief road to begin work.
The long-awaited project will complete the link between the Hollyfort Road and the Fort Road. It is hoped the new road will be open by Christmas. Links between The Avenue and the Monument, and the Carnew Road and the Hollyfort Road are already open.
Work has already finished on the new roundabout which will serve the link on the Hollyfort Road. The junction near Pearson’s Brook has been the scene of several serious crashes, and it’s hoped the roundabout will improve safety.
The roundabout was originally supposed to be constructed as part of the new relief road link, but delays on the project led to the decision to construct the roundabout separately.
Cllr. Malcolm Byrne this week welcomed the progress on the inner relief road project.
‘ This is way overdue but the Council faced all kinds of problems before work could commence, including the presence of Japanese knotweed,’ he said. ‘ The link road will particularly be of benefit for school traffic heading to Creagh College and the three nearby primary schools.’
He commented that the new roundabout should improve road safety, and he said that the impact on traffic once the new road is opened will be monitored.
‘ The link should keep some traffic away from the centre of the town but I’ve expressed concerns about increased traffic and safety implications as we may now see more vehicles use the road through Willow Park, Ashwood Grove, and Garden City,’ he said. ‘Additional appropriate measures may be necessary.’
He also said that he is in favour of inviting the public to make suggestions on appropriate names for the new link road once it is completed.
‘When I had suggested naming one section of the inner relief road after the late Paul Funge, it achieved widespread support,’ he said. ‘We could look at naming it after individuals who have contributed to the area or nationally or an organisation or a natural feature.’
‘One small note,’ he added. ‘We have no streets or areas around Gorey named after women.’