Call to alleviate clogged roundabout

THE need to alleviate the Lakeview roundabout at Midleton where the N25 and R630 converge was raised in the Dáil by Sinn Féin Deputy Pat Buckley.

“Whitegate village can boast to be the home of the only oil refinery in Ireland but the most startling fact is that it accounts for over 40% of Cork’s road tonnage, and it travels on the R630 all year around,” he said.

“There is also Aghada power station, which is Ireland’s largest, and this means the regional route is extremely busy. The Minister (Shane Ross) can understand why.

“Unfortunately, all this traffic must enter the N25 at Lakeview roundabout at Midleton, which is constantly choked with long tailbacks every morning. Midleton town council had approached what was then the National Roads Authority, now Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, a number of years ago about having an extra slip lane at the junction between the R630 Whitegate route and the N25 to alleviate this very problem. Unfortunately, over the years nothing has happened.”

He asked if Transport Infrastructure Ireland TII would make use of the land adjacent to the Lakeview roundabout and put in an extra lane leading to Cork from the Whitegate road, thus alleviating this very serious congestion problem.

In response, Minister Ross said nearly all of the moneys available for the immediate future are going on repair works and steady-state investment. “It will be 2019 or beyond before moneys will be used for new projects which, although equally important, simply cannot be funded at this time,” he said.

“On the slip road issue, I understand TII received no formal submission from Cork County Council.”