Nenagh councillors told of major plans for Active Travel initiatives on outskirts of town

The entrance to Nenagh from the old Dublin road is to be transformed under a €500,000 plan that will see new cycle and pathways developed between the Abbey Court Hotel and Lisboney Industrial Estate.

Dual cycleways and paths measuring three metres in width are to be developed on both sides of the road, councillors heard at the September meeting of Nenagh Municipal District.

The project, already approved for construction under the Government’s Active Travel scheme, will also feature a pedestrian crossing on the road adjacent to the Nenagh Leisure Centre entrance. A crossing will also be installed at the entrance to the industrial estate.

The width of the carriageways of the road will also be reduced as a traffic calming measure on what is one of the busiest routes in and out of the town. The council says the development will result in greater interconnectivity between the town centre and the industrial estate.

The council, which has purchased local lands, is hoping to increase industry in the Lisboney estate over the coming years.

Cllr John Carroll welcomed the development.

“It’s a fantastic scheme because it will make life easier for the many people who walk to and from the local burial ground,” he said.

Cllr Hughie McGrath noted that the new facilities did not extend quite out as far as the Cloughjordan road junction.

He felt there was a need for some kind of traffic calming at the junction to make it safe for pedestrians.

Cllr Seamus Morris said he also could not understand why the new footpaths did not extend as far as the Cloughjordan road junction, a traffic spot he described as “a nightmare”.

“There’s a lot of people from the town walking to the nearby burial ground and that junction does not lend itself to walking,” he said.

Cllr Ger Darcy described the junction as “a dangerous enough spot”. Something needed to be done there to improve safety.

He also concurred with Cllr McGrath that bicycle users should not be allowed to use the individual cycleways was in both directions; there should be one cycleway to travel out in the direction of Lisboney and the other to come back in the direction of the town.

Paddy Crowley, the council’s senior engineer with responsibility for Active Travel schemes, said the footpaths were not going to be extended to the Cloughjordan road junction because it was in a 100km/h limit and funds under Active Travel could not be drawn down in areas were that limit applied.

In reply to Cllr McGrath, he said a proposal to extend the natural gas supply from the town to Lisboney Industrial Estate was being explored.

Director of Services Marcus O’Connor said ways of increasing safety at the Cloughjordan road junction could certainly be considered.

District Cathaoirleach Cllr Rocky McGrath said one way of making such junctions safer would be if drivers took responsibility and kept within the speed limits.

“People have to cop on. They cannot be driving at speeds that cause cars to go out of control,” he said.

The Cathaoirleach said he was shocked to see the speeds at which some people drove on narrow winding road in areas such as Shalee and Newport.

Cllr Fiona Bonfield concurred, predicting that plans by the Government to reduce speed limits would not result in any significant reduction in accidents on roads.

What was needed was proper enforcement, she said.