Public meeting to dicuss new link road Waterpower up for award

RESIDENTS in Kanturk have been invited to attend a briefing and information session on the towns proposed new link road on Friday evening from 6pm in the local Temperance Hall.

The meeting, which is being hosted by Cork North West Michael Moynihan TD (FF), comes just weeks after it emerged that grant aid of €620,000 has been allocated for the long-awaited project under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF).

The project, which will link Bluepool Upper and Strand Street to the Mill Road, will cost just shy of the €1million mark with Cork County Council making up the shortfall from its own coffers.

Part 8 planning was granted for the project in May of 2017 and the land for the road has already been purchased and fenced off by Cork County Council.

Deputy Moynihan said the next step in the process will be the completion of a detailed design after which the project will be put out to tender and a contractor appointed with a view to construction work commencing in the spring of next year.

Works will include construction of approximately 340 linear metres of new carriageway, installation of footpaths and cycle tracks, surface water drainage, installation of public lighting, installation of ducting and services and provision of access points onto the new link road.

Deputy Moynihan said the development of the link road was of “enormous importance” in aiding the future regeneration of the town centre and facilitating access to the proposed new national school, which has been granted planning permission.

“This development would greatly help to alleviate the traffic congestion in the town centre, which will bring significant benefit to residents and visitors to the town. I have worked with Cllr Bernard Moynihan for the past number of years to secure progress on this important piece of infrastructure, and I am delighted to see that the funding required has finally been allocated. Great credit is due to Cork County Council for the significant work they have carried out to date,” said Deputy Moynihan.

“Given the significance and scale of this development, I believe it is important that the residents of Kanturk are kept fully informed about this project. All are invited to a briefing evening at which relevant information will be available and where I will be glad to discuss any aspects of the project,” he added.