Safe Routes to School works finally begin Bellurgan in north Louth

Long awaited Safe Route to School (SRTS) works have begun on the Dundalk to Carlingford R173 road at Bellurgan in north Louth, according to Dundalk-Carlingford's Cllr Antóin Watters, who shared the news on social media this week.

Cllr Watters says that the works are expected to last between 16 and 20 weeks, and may involve rolling traffic lights and other temporary traffic controls as different stages are completed.

The local community has been campaigning for some years now for works on the road, with Cllr Watters heavily involved in the campaigning, due to the high speed of traffic and the lack of adequate traffic calming measures on the busy R173 at Bellurgan, the location of a local primary school, playschool, Bellurgan FC, and local shops.

The protests included marches by children and adults from the on the main road, and a demonstration outside the Dundalk Town Hall ahead of one of the Dundalk Municipal District monthly meetings.

The works at Bellurgan are understood to include four raised pedestrian crossings with a push button crossing at the school, an extended speed limit, and three sets of speed cushions.

Read also: €6.5m for women's refuge in Dundalk an 'investment into safety for women and children'

Bellurgan National School is one of three areas in the county where Louth County Council announced last year that SRTS works would be taking place, along with St Mary’s National School, Knockbridge, and Callystown National School, Clogherhead.

Louth County Council said at the time that the proposed measures aim to provide safe routes for children walking, cycling and scooting to school while also helping reduce traffic speeds, provide safe pedestrian crossings for vulnerable road users and those with reduced mobility and improve accessibility.

It said that the extent of works over the three schools is on existing carriageway with no works outside the existing road / verge / footpath footprint and primarily consists of:

• New Road Markings,
• New footpaths / cycleways
• Bus Stops
• Ramps at signalised junctions,
• Installation of traffic signals,
• Dowelled in bollards,
• Kerb cuts, ramp accesses and small sections of footpath to connect into existing footpath,
• Improvement in markings, tactiles and signage for footpaths
• Temporary traffic management during the works, and associated works

Cllr Watters news of the works commencing at Bellurgan were welcomed on social media, with one user commenting, "doesn't matter how long it takes, kids safety is all that matters  top man Councillor Antóin Watters", and another commenting, "It's great to see, finally my kids will be able to walk safely to school. Thanks Antoin"