Tackling speed on Pike Road after two year wait - residents ‘relieved’
- residents ‘relieved’
Residents of Pike Road, Fermoy, said they were relieved when traffic calming measures were introduced in the area last week following a deputation that was brought to the Fermoy Municipal District in 2020.
Monday, March 21 saw two new speed ramps installed on the road in an area where Councillor Noel McCarthy claimed residents were ‘living in fear’ of entering and exiting their homes due to high traffic speeds and volumes.
“Kathleen Lee and Maura Galvin brought the deputation two years ago on behalf of the residents of Pike Road. What they were looking for was traffic calming measures such as the ramps we have now.
“They have other ideas as well but we are delighted to see a start now that we have the ramps put in place,” Cllr McCarthy said.
Speaking with The Avondhu, Maura Galvin, who has lived in the area for some 35 years, said that locals have been seeking traffic calming measures for over ten years.
“The traffic had increased here tenfold. Thirty years ago you had about two-dozen houses on this road and now you have hundreds of houses.
“As well as that, an awful lot of trucks use the road as well, taking a shortcut. They don’t go through the town, they come out here if they’re going to Lismore. The road was never made to take traffic like that,” Maura said.
‘NEVER MADE FOR THE TRAFFIC WE HAVE NOW’
According to Kathleen Lee, who has lived on Pike Road for some 50 years, noted that the road also has a severe bend, known as Feale’s Corner, which has seen many accidents over the years.
“There were several cars that went into the field (adjoining the bend). If there was a solid wall there instead of a ditch, there would have been several fatalities.
“There are so many children here now, you have young children walking up and down to school and to sports and to clubs and things. When I came to live here, the road was only a boreen. It was never made for the traffic we have now,” Kathleen said.
Following the delegation, 2021 saw a new footpath installed in order to narrow the road and reduce speeds.
Last week, two new speed ramps were also installed near the severe bend which residents had raised concerns about.
HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES
Residents of Pike Road and Cllr McCarthy thanked Cork County Council and Senior Engineer Brendan O’Gorman for their work. However, it was noted that some further work may be needed.
“The ramps will be great for the bend. It’s a bend you wouldn’t realise is so severe, and if you’re coming in too fast to it, you could lose control
“We need one more ramp and we need a sign preventing heavy goods vehicles from using the road which I think would be a great help to the residents because they are living in fear entering and exiting their homes,” Cllr McCarthy said.
Residents are now calling for another ramp to be installed at the beginning of Pike Road, near the junction by the Amber service station, as well as signage to prevent heavy goods vehicles from using the road.
“If they have to slow down further up, they won’t have the momentum to gather speed that quickly. Even with those ramps, once they’ve passed the ramp, they fly off,” Maura Galvin said.
According to Cllr
McCarthy, he will continue to work on the issue as he noted that another ramp would make a ‘great difference’ for those living in the area.
“Rathcarrig, Crann Ard, Cúl Mona and Lissore along with other houses, have brought population that was never expected to be using this road but now are, and we need to have proper traffic calming measures for the health and safety of everyone,” he concluded.