LIMERICK’S Metropolitan Mayor, Cllr Daniel Butler, has predicted traffic chaos as the Council this week begins work on the Mungret Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF).
This phase is to allow access to the Homely Developments plans to build 200 houses close to Quinn’s Roundabout near Mungret. Part of those works will be on the R510, which is a main road access to Raheen Business Park, South Court Hotel, Courtfields Shopping Centre, Mungret St Nessan’s Primary and the Dock Road.
“I have been liaising with the Council on these planned works, while they are necessary, I had tried to work with the Council to see them begun in July outside of the school term and peak traffic period to be finished by September,” said Cllr Butler, who lives along the R510.
“We now see delays pushing us into that season and after our experiences with the Quinn’s Roundabout works we locally are extremely concerned and frustrated.”
The contractor is due to commence works on Wednesday August 8 on the 250 metre section of the R510 between Quinn’s Cross and the site entrance. This involves road widening, footpath replacement and the creation of the new junction. The contract has an overall programme of six months and there is two month’s work on the R510.
“These works are to put a controlled traffic light junction in a stretch of road with a series of pedestrian crossings already. This is absolutely madness. I have made my views clear but engineers inform this is the only safe solution. I had hoped access would be via Quinn’s Roundabout. At this point all we can hope is that peak time traffic is avoided as I have requested of council officials,” he concluded.
There was no response from Limerick City and County Council at the time of going to print.
