Rosbercon set to be the main trail head for new Greenway
WITH 300,000 PLUS VISITORS SET TO ARRIVE IN NEW ROSS IN 2022 ON €13M GREENWAY ENTREPRENEURS URGED TO SEIZE OPPORTUNITY AND INVEST
The main trail head for the €13m Greenway will be at Rosbercon, where signage will direct hundreds of thousands of walkers and cyclists into New Ross across O’Hanrahan Bridge.
Chartered engineer with consulting civil, structural, mechanical engineering company, Malachy Walsh & Partners, Seán Breen said the South East Greenway is on a 24km disused railway corridor. Passenger services stopped on the route in 1963 and freight in the mid-90s.
He said the 24km route stretches from Mount Elliott to Ferrybank at Abbey Road.
‘ The surface quality and width varies due to the expected volume and intended usage. For urban sections it will be 5 metres wide around Ferrybank and Abbeylands in Waterford and around Mount Elliott, New Ross and the Red Bridge to cater for the expected high volumes.’
The greenway will be 3m wide in more rural areas.
Mr Breen said the 650m long Mount Elliott tunnel will form a very attractive part of the route.
‘It’s a unique feature on the route, one which I feel will be a key attraction. It’s great that it’s so close to New Ross as I feel it will drive a lot of traffic to this region. The bridge is in really good condition.’
Within the tunnel there will be audio-visual effects, as well as lighting and security.
The purchase of land in the area is being completed.
Mr Breen said the Red Bridge is in a very good condition.
‘ The deck has seen better days so a new pre-cast deck will be laid across the bridge. It’s designed to be respectful to the cultural heritage that is there so it won’t be invasive.’
He said a barrier system will be in place for the existing structure, adding that the proximity of the greenway route to New Ross town will bring a huge increase in footfall to the area.
‘One the N25 has been downgraded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland we will look at options for pedestrians and cyclists on O’Hanrahan Bridge. The road will be a lower standing as it will no longer be a national route. We aim to drive people from the main trail head at the greenway car park in
Rosbercon – across O’Hanrahan Bridge – into New Ross, bringing footfall into the town. Signage will show the ancillary benefits of coming off-line.’
Mr Breen said the Rosslare to Waterford Greenway will link in with the South East Greenway in New Ross, adding that the Barrow Bridge will be another unique feature of the route.
Extending on to Ferrybank, the greenway will connect with Waterford City centre via a new bridge planned a part of the North Quays development.
The quality of the greenway surface will be very high close to New Ross and Ferrybank and of a slightly lower quality in rural areas.
‘A close grained, high quality surface for higher speeds required by commuters will be in urban areas. From a cost perspective it’s much more robust. In rural parts there will be double surface dressing; a tar binder with graded chips which is still of a very high quality.’
Construction works will include building six culverts for landowners who have significant requirements for livestock. There are eight level crossings and railway crossings will be upgraded for cyclists and pedestrians.
‘ There will be gated crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.’
Five car parks will be located at Ferrybank, Glenmore, Raheen, Rosbercon and Mount Elliott, with discussions underway about other car parks.
The Rosbercon car park will have 150 spaces and space for coaches and an amenity block is being costed. A Part 8 planning application is required for this.
‘It’s the main trail head for the New Ross urban route and there will be public lighting. Flooding is an issue for the site as it’s within the flood-zone or the River Barrow but is only susceptible to a one in a thousand year event so resilient design measures will be put in place so there is no appreciable damage to any of the assets.’
Irish Rail and CIE own the tracks and both are expected to abandon the route this summer, Mr Breen said.
Landowners along the route will receive an information pack and Mr Breen said there are business opportunities along the route.
Sinead Casey of the council’s Special Projects team said: ‘It’s another huge opportunity for New Ross and we have been looking forward to this for some time in line with the opening of the bypass. It’s all very timely considering the New Ross Transformation funding and Town Destination Funding. The timing couldn’t be better for business development.’
Ms Casey said a river cruise will bring cyclists and walkers back to Waterford once they have stopped off in New Ross. She said that the route will be ‘animated’ and will have information panels highlighting the history and folklore of the railway route.
‘ There will be storyboards and information panels along the route. It will also be very much highlighting and educating towards biodiversity and it’s planned that the community will be engaging in this process. They have the stories and that process has started already in our special projects section.’
She said the Local Enterprise Office in County Hall has a huge suite of supports available. It’s up to the public to come forward with the ideas and set them up, but the local authority, council and chamber are offering huge supports.’
These include business advice, mentoring services comprising up to three-hour tutorials for five costing €50 per session.
‘ These are for start-ups and existing businesses. Micro-finance grants of between €5,000 and €25,000 will be made available,’
A Greenway tourism officers has been hired by Wexford County Council to work with business owners and to promote the area.
Ms Casey said there is a lack of accommodation and bed nights in the town and more food outlets are needed ‘ to enhance the town’s economy and retail, but people can be imaginative. It’s an opportunity that should be grasped.’
Advance contracts have been signed for everything from a topographical survey, to vegetation clearance enabling engineers to access the site to carry out an investigation into boreholes. Another contract is for removal of railway track and sleeper removal.
Mr Breen said tenders for the works are due to begin next month, with construction to get underway in April. ‘ The sleeper tracks will be returned to Irish
Rail who are mandated by the EPA to recover and dispose of them.’
He said the main contract for the greenway works is ongoing, adding that it will be completed by December 2021 at a cost of around €13.3m, €8m of which is coming from the Department of Tourism & Sport, with €5.3m coming from Wexford, Kilkenny and Waterford local authorities.
Cllr Anthony Connick asked who will maintain the greenway route once it opens and was told council staff will.
He said electrical car charging points are needed in the car parks, along with bicycle racks.
Cllr Connick asked if much consideration has been given to maintaining and preserving the Barrow Bridge at Great Island.
Ms Casey said Destination
BED NIGHTS AND MORE FOOD OUTLETS ARE NEEDED, BUT PEOPLE CAN BE IMAGINATIVE. IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT SHOULD BE GRASPED
Town funding will be used to provide all facilities required at the trail head car parks in Rosbercon and Mount Elliott. She said the municipal council will have to consider putting in charging points, adding that it will take years for the Barrow Bridge issue to be resolved.
Cllr Michael Sheehan said the greenway is going to be a game changer for every business owner and resident of New Ross and district. He enquired if the economic section and municipal council can organise an information night in March or April inviting the Local Enterprise Office and Wexford Local Development, along with the Department of Social Protection. ‘ They should do a presentation on what grants are available to them. There are some people in the town who may have great ideas but don’t know where to go.’
Cllr Sheehan expressed concern that someone with a greenway business along the Waterford Greenway might jump in before a local businessperson. He said cafés, security services, toilet facilities and
Sinead Casey, Special Projects
proper access are needed along the route. ‘ These are things that emerged when the Waterford Greenway became a victim of its own success.’
Mr Breen said there will be no vehicular access to the greenway except for emergency services and maintenance vehicles at controlled access points. He said Malachy Walsh worked closely with the team behind the Waterford Greenway so are aware of all that is required. ‘ They have obviously undertaken a number of studies into tourism and volume assessments at peak times, and demographics.’
He said there are several features on the route which will make it unique from other greenways. ‘It runs adjacent to the Barrow south of the bridge. Ideal for a lovely restaurant and picnic areas. On the Kilkenny side there are a number of sections where they have had to cut through sections of rock. All that rock they produced they have used as an embankment so there are quite a lot of features as you go from an enclosed pool surrounded by rocks to open countryside. It’s a great feature which is reasonably unique to the area.’
Ms Casey said an information night is a great idea.
‘It will follow very nicely with the retail meeting Tuesday night. Kilkenny County Council will be working with communities on projects that will be quite specific features but they will be unique to the South East Greenway. There is a social media tweet going around claiming that 15 per cent of the New Ross greenway is on the road. It’s completely untrue. There are three access points and there is no vehicular access there.’
Ms Casey said the Department of Tourism & Sport have a range of supports for someone coming off of social welfare who wants to open a business and for new business ideas. ‘ There are huge opportunities in the town centre to create jobs.’
Cllr Michael Whelan said a greenway promotions officer has been hired. He enquired about access at farmer’s junctions. ‘ The dairy herds could be a feature in themselves,’ he said.
Replying to concerns about the greenway surface quality, Mr Breen said it is like a tarmac surface, but slightly rougher. A car park location is being finalised in Mount Elliott, he said, adding: ‘ that will dictate the nature of the route’.
‘At the end of the tunnel the trail head ramps up to the level of the N30 and will bring you to a trail head car park around Mannion’s pub.’
He said farmer junctions are assessed on the basis of need, adding that there will be underpasses. Ms Casey said public lighting is planned for Rosbercon car park, adding that it will make the Rosbercon, Mount Elliott route a very good alternative public route for walkers who can come down Cherry’s Road. Discussions about providing public lighting along Cherry’s Road are underway.
Cllr Pat Barden said the car parks are located miles outside of New Ross town centre. ‘Are we going to lose the benefit of the greenway? Will people come in to New Ross when the car parks are miles away?’
Ms Casey said a package of works are required to be completed by the council in relation to signage and incentives to inform people where the amenities and benefits to coming to New Ross area. ‘ There is substantial work required in order to connect that footfall into locations in the town. At Rosbercon the town’s amenities will be very well signposted and animated.
‘ These car parks are within the control of local authorities. That is not to say that someone who owns land anywhere along the route may not consider developments anyway, including car parks on this side.’
An improved pedestrian path across O’Hanrahan Bridge will be created, along with markings for dedicated cycling lanes.
Cllr Sheehan said the river cruiser will land on the town side and be good for footfall, asking if Kilkenny County Council can be called upon to approach the Albatros side with a view to opening a car park there.
Mr Breen said people will be encouraged to walk and cycle from Rosbercon across O’Hanrahan Bridge into the town centre.
Ms Casey said CCTV is being considered at certain locations.
Communications officer David Minogue said around 48,000 people have viewed a tweet the council put up about the greenway in October.
‘ There is a huge appetite; it’s really getting a lot of traction.’
Director of services Eamonn Hore said 108,000 walkers use the Waterford Greenway, adding that when the South East Greenway opens, tens of thousands of walkers will arrive on the quay in New Ross every year.