A LONG overdue road safety improvement scheme on the N69 at Mungret and Boland’s Cross was passed by councillors in the Metropolitan District this week.
The proposed improvement scheme, which is expected will go out to tender next summer, will comprise of 550m of revised road layout on the N69 and 90m of realigned side road L1403.
The road safety improvement scheme will include the installation of 3m and 4m wide raised shared use active travel facilities between Boland’s Cross and Mungret Cross. The project will also see the installation of signal-controlled pedestrian crossings, kerbing, and hardscaping.
Speaking in County Hall on Monday, Independent councillor Fergus Kilcoyne, who claimed he initiated the improvement scheme, showed his support.
“I’ll just go back to 2019, I actually initiated this,”Cllr Kilcoyne told council members.
“I brought John Sheehan at the time, he was an engineer here at Limerick City Council, and we actually went out and sat in the car for half and hour and we watched the traffic.
“We were only there for five minutes on the lefthand side outbound on the N69, and lo and behold, within five minutes there was a car travelling along and a truck overtook it from the brow of the hill.
“From that day on John Sheehan contacted TII to get this scheme upgraded and I am delighted to see it going forward,” he added.
When it next came to Fine Gael councillor Dan McSweeney’s turn to speak he claimed that Cllr Kilcoyne had not formally proposed the scheme.
“I have formally proposed it. I supported it and formally proposed it,” Cllr Kilcoyne hit back.
“You didn’t propose it councillor. I would like to formally propose it and I have to compliment the team who have put a lot of work into the scheme,” Cllr McSweeney commented.
“Just in relation to the overall scheme, I know this scheme has been in the pipeline for many years. Some will claim they got it initiated, but I am well aware that my colleague, Cllr Daniel Butler, has been on this for a significant number of years, even before this council term. But overall, it’s a welcome scheme. It’s a scheme we have waited long enough for.”
Cllr Daniel Butler added that he was delighted to see this planning move forward after many years of work to allow delivery to now be advanced in the first half of 2024.
“This project will help address the dangerous junction at Boland’s Cross for those accessing Breska and the general Clarina/Ballybrown area via this junction. It also allows for the delivery paths connecting houses at this junction to the village and onto Mungret GAA, park, and schools.
“It also helps us reduce speeds along the village, which until now was very hostile to pedestrians. The N69 essentially cuts the village in half, isolating the Westward Ho and Barrack Road residents from the heart of the village.
“This will hopefully not just improve safety, but also support further growth and future sustainability of the village,” he concluded.
