MORE than €10 million is needed to complete the Ennis Northern Inner Relief Road, Clare County Council has confirmed.
Clare’s Oireachtas members are now set to be invited to a special meeting of the Ennis Municipal District to hear first hand about the need for funding for projects in the county capital including the completion of a route connecting the Gort and Tulla roads.
Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, Councillor Mary Howard (FG) described the link as a “necessary piece of infrastructure” for the development of the town and alleviating traffic issues.
The councillor pointed out that, over the last number of years, the council has been planning for the future of the town including the upcoming introduction of a town bus service, cycle lanes and other projects.
She requested an update on the status of the road planned through the grounds adjacent to Our Lady’s Hospital, linking the Gort Road with the Tulla Road.
She further sought details on proposals for a road accessing the Quin Road from the Skehanagh Roundabout on the Ennis Western Relief Road.
She outlined that over the years there have been “many false dawns” about the prospect of completing the North Inner Relief project.
“The fastest way through town is O’Connell Street, but we don’t want is people using O’Connell Street as a rat run,” she said.
“If we had these roads it would take a huge amount of traffic out of the town centre.”
Anne O’Sullivan, Senior Executive Engineer, responded to the motion by stating both proposed roads are indicated as infrastructure safeguards in the County Development Plan and previous County Development Plans.
“The Ennis Area Based Transport Assessment is currently underway and this will result in a transportation plan for Ennis which will amongst other things review the existing and proposed road network for Ennis, the active travel network and bus network,” she said.
“The Regional and Economic Spatial Strategy published in 2020 has identified both roads as key infrastructural requirements for Ennis.
“However they are not identified in the National Development Plan 2021 to 2030 which sets out its transport priorities as sustainable mobility options in the context of improved public transport and expanded active travel.
“The plan states only where other interventions have been demonstrated to be inadequate to address the “problem or opportunity at hand” will new roads be considered. The provision of new transportation infrastructure in Ennis is focused on Active Travel infrastructure and the development of the new bus network. This in turn will support a modal shift which will reduce traffic density. Design work is progressing on the Tulla Road Cycling Scheme , the Limerick Road Cycling Scheme and the Ennis Bus Network.”
She confirmed that a recent cost estimate prepared for the Northern Relief Road is €10.2 million.
“Currently there is no funding stream to progress this piece of infrastructure,” she said.
“It is intended that the construction of this road would be supported by a developer led model.
An application was made for Urban Regeneration and Development Funding to construct part of this proposed road in 2018 and this however was unsuccessful.”
She also stated there is no funding allocated to progress the proposed road from the Quin Road to Skehanagh Roundabout.
Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) in supporting the motion stated it is “not good enough” that proposed roads which have been part of the County Development Plan for years have not been completed saying this is a county issue and not just one of the municipal district. She said the Northern Inner Relief Road “needs to be taken as a number one priority”.
Councillor Johnny Flynn (FG)insisted government funding is needed to complete the project saying, “It is up to our Oireachtas members to deliver what is a crucial piece of work”.
Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Pat Daly (FF) stated, “A link road has to happen. The Gort Road is a bottle neck miles long.” He suggested that the county’s Oireachtas members be invited to a meeting “to ask them to deliver on this. It’s going on and on for many, many years.”
Councillor Howard agreed with the suggestion of inviting the Oireachtas members to a meeting of the local authority to address the matter saying if they do come to a meeting the councillors should “put together a list of what they can do for us”.
She concluded by saying that “it’s a shame” the Northern Relief Road has not yet been completed by the council.