Traffic chaos down the road for Mallow
A SENIOR Cork County Council official has admitted there will be major traffic congestion in Mallow when work begins on the €2.1 million Mallow Boardwalk scheme.
Aidan Weir, the council’s acting director of road services, said it was hoped work would start on the project, which was granted planning permission back in 2011, next spring and be completed by the end of the year.
It will include a new walkway on the western side of the bridge and the creation of a second traffic lane for traffic coming into the town over the bridge, which caters for thousands of vehicles each day.
While Mr Weir insisted the local authority would do all it could to minimise disruption while the works were ongoing, he said that, given the scale of the project, it was inevitable it would cause significant traffic disturbance, particularly at peak times.
“There really is no way of avoiding that,” he said.
CORK County Council has been urged to do all it can to avoid traffic meltdown in Mallow once work begins on the planned boardwalk on Mallow Bridge.
Last week The Corkman revealed that a €1million EU grant allocated for the creation of a regional arts centre in Mallow Town Hall had been reallocated to the Boardwalk project.
This was after it emerged that the cost of the town hall project had spiralled to more than €5 million, with the council conceding that the project could not be completed within the allocated time-frame for the grant to be spent.
Kanturk/Mallow municipal district manager Mary Hayes said that, on the advice of the Southern Assembly, it was decided that the funding be switched to the boardwalk project to ensure it was not lost to the town.
Granted Part 8 planning permission seven years ago, the project will incorporate the construction of a new walkway on the western side of the bridge, the creation of a third traffic lane, the demolition of the public toilet block and the relocation of the memorial to the northern side of the bridge.
In reply to a query from Cllr Melissa Mullane (SF) at this week’s northern area committee meeting, the Council’s acting head of road services, Aidan Weir, said it was hoped to go to tender on the project early next year with work to commence in the early spring.
“It is envisaged that the project will be completed by the end of 2019,” said Mr Weir.
He said the project would cost in the region of €2.1 million, with the balance made up from the Council’s own coffers.
Cllr Mullane asked if the council had considered what measures would be put in place to minimise disruption to traffic using the bridge while works are ongoing.
“We are all too aware of the existing traffic problems in Mallow, so we need to take a close look at the additional impact these works will have on that. One suggestion would be that much of the work be undertaken at night when there is less traffic,” said Cllr Mullane.
Cllr Gearóid Murphy (FF) said that while the project would undoubtedly benefit the town in the long term, he too was concerned about the impact on traffic while works were ongoing, including at off-peak times
In reply, Mr Weir insisted the authority would do all within its power to minimise disruption during the works.
“We recognise the bridge is a vitally important link between both sides of the town, and every effort will be made to minimise traffic disruption given how busy the bridge is in terms of traffic,” said Mr Weir.
While he said the council would give serious consideration to night-time works, Mr Weir did warn that given the scale of the project it was inevitable that it would create significant traffic disturbance, particularly at peak times.
“No matter how we deal with the issue it will create congestion for a period of time while works are ongoing. There really is no way of avoiding that,” Mr Weir said.