Months of roadworks in Limerick town a factor in business closing

ONE business owner in Abbeyfeale says ongoing road works, which meant customers were in heavy traffic for long periods of time, were a factor in why she has closed her business.

From the end of January until late April, there were water main replacement and pavement works, resulting in a stop/go traffic system on the N21. 

It impacted people travelling from the Church of the Assumption in Abbeyfeale to Mount Mahon. 

Some motorists reported that it took almost an hour to get through the main street. 

Pamela Kelleher ran The Fish Hut in The Square in Abbeyfeale. 

Speaking to Limerick Live, she said that the road works “did have a bearing” on her decision to close. 

She said that a lot of her customers “weren’t in a position to be sitting in traffic” for extended periods of time. 

While the road works were a major inconvenience for her and other business owners alike, she said it was not the only reason she closed and there were other factors at play. 

The May monthly Newcastle West Municipal District meeting heard that other businesses had to close some days, as they could not get in or out of their business, due to the road works. 

Councillor Liam Galvin appreciated the quality of the work, but said the traffic should have been managed better.

Cllrs Galvin, Francis Foley and Michael Collins all attended a public meeting last week, with about 100 people present, mostly with vested business interests in the town. 

Cllr Galvin told Limerick Live that people were angry about the way traffic was managed for the most recent road works. 

At the meeting, engineer Kieran O’Gorman told people that for these works a stop/go system was unavoidable. 

However, a commitment was made that for the Abbeyfeale traffic management plan, any stop/go system that would be needed would be used at night and would not impact businesses. 

That plan will go to tender soon and will likely take six weeks to go through. 

A carpark will be developed at the rear of what was Riordan’s building before the works start, which Cllr Galvin said will make a big difference. 

This will be a major project with new sewerage lines, new water lines, and putting ESB and broadband lines underground. 

“There are going to be disruptions,” Cllr Galvin said, adding that the carpark development and nighttime stop/go system will help to lessen the impact on businesses.

He said that for the works at the start of the year, the businesses felt they weren’t consulted enough. 

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Speaking at the Newcastle West Municipal District meeting, Cllr Galvin said that during the works, the traffic was so bad that businesses sent staff home some days. 

“Retail businesses down the town did not and could not trade,” he said. 

He added that at times “traffic couldn’t move.”

“I saw it myself, it was mayhem,” he said. 

Motorists reported being stuck in the traffic trying to get through the town for up to an hour sometimes. 

Cllr Galvin pointed out that the N21 going through Abbeyfeale is a national primary route. 

“It is a gateway to the holiday destination of Kerry,”he said. 

Cllr Collins told the meeting even though he's not based in Abbeyfeale, he too was getting calls. 

“One woman said she had one customer in a day - that’s soul destroying.

“It’s going to help businesses and the town in the long term, but in the short term, we can’t have businesses suffering,” he said.  

Councillor Foley described the situation as a “nightmare.” 

“I feel traffic wasn’t allowed to flow,” he said. 

Cllr Jerome Scanlan cited a UK example where businesses impacted by works can put in an estimated claim of losses to go against their rates. 

However, in response, the council said that commercial rates are legally payable on all properties and that the road works were managed to “minimise disruption.”

In response, Cllr Galvin said: “It's not an easy request, but when you hear of businesses closing and people sending home their staff - we need to come up with a scheme, something has to give here.”

In the wake of these works, Cllr Galvin urged people to shop local. 

"Abbeyfeale is alive and open for business," he said.