One-way road narrowing plan proposal revealed to address decade-long safety issue in Leitrim town
Leitrim County Council is developing a proposal to provide a one-way road narrowing system across Buckards Bridge on the R280, along with the reallocation of road space to create a footpath along Castle Street.
Solutions are continuing to be sought to address a safety issue in Manorhamilton that has persisted for over a decade.
Ongoing concerns have been raised regarding pedestrian safety on Sean Mac Diarmada Street, with repeated calls for the construction of a footbridge as pedestrians are required to navigate heavy traffic on the street.
At the December meeting of Manorhamilton Municipal District, Cllr Felim Gurn asked whether all relevant landowners had been contacted in relation to the proposed bridge in order to progress the necessary pedestrian works.
He noted that the issue is frequently raised by constituents and stressed that the works need to be completed as soon as possible. “With the amount of lorries and buses, people's lives are in your hands,” said Cllr Gurn.
In response, the Roads Department explained that Leitrim County Council is currently developing a proposal to provide a one-way road narrowing system across Buckards Bridge on the R280, along with the reallocation of road space to create a footpath along Castle Street.
Priority would be given to traffic travelling from the town centre in order to mitigate queueing on the N16. The proposed footpath would be approximately 50 metres in length.
The response further outlined that, should Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) approve funding for the project, it is not anticipated that any land acquisition would be required.
The project would then be subject to either a Section 38 non-statutory consultation or a Part 8 statutory consultation process.
Councillors argued that a footbridge is what is ultimately needed at the location. However, they were advised that the current proposal is what TII would be willing to fund, and that a footbridge is less accessible in terms of securing funding.