Roadworks improve safety for school goers in Kilcormac

ROADWORKS carried out on two roads in Kilcormac have improved safety for school goers walking to and from school, Cllr John Leahy told a recent meeting of Birr Municipal District.

“The Council should publicise this work on social media,” commented the councillor, “get the message out there about the good work which the Council is often doing.”

He said locals were “very pleased” with the Kinnitty Road and Mountrath Street works. “I heard a lot of compliments. It was top class work which has transformed that part of the town. It's good news to hear that the same contractors are working on Hill Street in Cloghan.”

The District Engineer John Mitchell pointed out that road improvement works (under the same Active Travel Scheme which covered the works in Kilcormac) will take place in Shinrone during the coming weeks.

Cllr John Clendennen said the Council needs to improve its communication with locals in advance of roadworks starting.

“We have improved in the area of communication but it could be better still,” he remarked. “When we are telling people that the works are due to commence we should also tell them how long the works will take. Sometimes the work seems to go on for a very long time. We had that problem in Kinnitty a couple of years ago when the work seemed to rumble on for ever.”

He welcomed the roadworks in Kinnitty which have connected the village to the Slieve Bloom Bike Trails. “The big picture plan of connecting the bike trails to the village is taking shape,” he remarked.

Cllr Peter Ormond praised the Council staff for getting 86% of its 2024 Road Improvement Schemes completed already. “That is very good going,” he remarked.

“The Shinrone active travel scheme will be great when it's completed, improving the village. I agree with Cllr Clendennen that we need to improve our communication skills ahead of the works. Some of the contractors we employ need to improve their communication skills. They should drop a letter through people's postboxes the day before the works begin, informing them that such and such a road will be closed, etc. We receive quite a few calls from the general public complaining about a lack of advance notice.”

Cllr Ormond praised the Council staff for their skilful renovation work on a number of bridges throughout the District. “90% of the great work on our bridges has been done by our own staff.”

“We couldn't get contractors to do our own bridge improvement programme,” said John Mitchell, District Engineer, “therefore we had to use our own staff.”