Funding of €1.5 million received for county Longford N63 resurfacing works from TII

A total of €1.5m has been allocated by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) for the completion of resurfacing works on the N63 Cloontuck/Gowlan, a meeting of the Longford Municipal District has heard.

Addressing the chamber, Senior Executive Engineer for the council, Mr Peter Brady, added that €300K had also been allocated for works on the N4 Newtownforbes, specifically from Lamagh Bridge to the junction with Corryline Road.

The council heard that just over €1M had been allocated for ‘restoration improvements’ on various roads within the district.

Funding of €260K was granted for spending on the Old N5, also known as the Connaught Road while an allocation of just over €240K was granted for the restoration maintenance (surface dressing) of various roads within the municipal district which includes the town itself, and the surrounding villages and rural townlands.

Mr Brady went on to inform the chamber that a grant of almost €100K was allocated for drainage issues, €80K had been granted for safety improvement works and €70K for climate change adaptation.

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In addition to talking about funding received, the subject of funding applications that have been made was also discussed.

Mr Brady notes that “the Tommiskey roundabout, just on the edge of the county boundary as you go on to dual carriageway, has got very bad there on the approach” adding that the roundabout itself had fared badly over the winter and was in need of resurfacing.

As such, an application was submitted for funding for emergency works. The upgrading of the existing Annaly Car Park, said Mr Brady, “is in development stage at the minute.”

When it was put to the chamber, Cllr Seamus Butler commended Mr Brady on the work completed to date but pointed out that the N4 in Shroid had been placed “on the long finger by the TII for about 7 years.”

Serious accidents have occurred along there. We won’t have the new motorway for the next 4-5 years and that’s at best. It’s still in the early phase, they don’t seem to be too committed to it.

The N4 between Longford and Mullingar is one of the most dangerous in the country! How many more lives are we going to lose before we get our motorway?”

Another concern raised by the chamber was the issue of signage on some of the parking meters installed around the town which is currently causing “some confusion among motorists”.

Councillor Martin Monaghan pointed out that the older meters displayed signage which indicated a grace period of just 10 minutes upon expiration of the ticket.

Said Cllr Monaghan, “After your ticket expires, you have a 30 minute grace period. It was 10 minutes before. That’s on the older machines but it hasn’t been put back onto the new machines and people are a little bit confused.”

Cllr Peggy Nolan raised the issue of a footpath.

“With regard to the work being done at Slashers, I know they are going to put a path. I am going to ask you to keep that path on your radar.

“I know it wasn’t budgeted for but I am asking you to just keep it on your radar and to continue that path out to the cemetery. It is crucial that a pathway goes right out to the cemetery.

“So many people are walking out on that road to the cemetery and I got a number of calls from people to ask if a path could be included in the works.

“Some of the residents are frightened for the older people walking out to the cemetery. It’s not safe. Could we look at getting funding for that?"

In response to the queries, Mr Brady said they would review the comments made.

Funded by Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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