Over €65M for necessary works with several local areas to benefit

Several local roads and projects were recently announced as the recipients of funding under a €597 million investment programme for 2022.

For Cork County Council works, a total allocation of €65,817,488 in funding was made across the county with significant funding being allocated to one ongoing issue for the area, Leary’s Cross near Castlelyons to the tune of €60,000 under the 2022 Safety Improvement Works on Regional and Local Roads Fund.

Local councillor William O’Leary welcomed the news, stating that he hopes to see works on-site begin ‘as soon as possible’.

“I would like to see works on the ground as soon as possible and to have funding committed to these works is a big step. Design plans for the junction are ongoing and I hope to see route options available in the near future,” Cllr O’Leary added.

€30,000 was also allocated under the same scheme for improvement works at a local junction on the R639 at Kiltrislane, Mitchelstown.

Elsewhere locally, Burncourt village in County Tipperary saw a €45,000 allocation towards Safety Improvement Works on the L-3301-2 road.

MULTIPLE AWARDS

Multiple local and regional roads also saw funding allocated towards the Climate Change Adaption and Resilience works.

Clondulane saw one of the largest local allocations, with funding to the tune of €40,000 made available for the raising of footpaths adjacent to housing and associated new drainage and access improvements.

Works in Clondulane carried out under this funding will include the laying of a new storm sewer to pick up on low points to connect to the sewer eastwards. This follows a notice of motion placed last year by Cllr O’Leary who called for solutions to flooding and drainage issues in the village, which he described at the time as a ‘legacy issue’.

At the time, the councillor called for Clondulane to be put forward for the Climate Action funding and to have the village prioritised as parts of it were ‘washing away’.

“I very much welcome this funding. These are necessary works for a longstanding issue and it’s good to see funding ringfenced for it,” Cllr O’Leary said this week.

Significant funding was also allocated to the Carraig na bhFear to Whitechurch road, with €40,000 put towards the upgrading of the road drainage system and the installation of drainage pipes along the road.

€35,000 was allocated to the main street in Killavullen to install a new culvert draining catchment through private lands to the village stream, while Fitzgerald Place in Fermoy saw a €25,000 allocation to replace an existing storm culvert with a new system to include new gully connections.

Molly Barry’s Cross in Kilworth received €20,000 for a new trash screen to be installed at a flooding hotspot as well as a fence and concrete area at the screen.

Funding of €15,000 was allocated to Glansheskin for a new filter drain and cross fall along with a new safety bollard, while the same was allocated to raise the road level for 400 metres on the Ballyhooly-Corribrien road.