Further footpath works getting underway in Clare town

WORKS on footpaths in Tulla are set to begin this month, with a significant improvement project for the junction of Main Street and Chapel Street likely to get underway in March of 2023.

Councillors received the update in response to two motions which raised concerns over the condition of footpaths in the East Clare town. At their final meeting of the year, members of the Killaloe district were told that, in addition to the work funded through the Active Travel scheme, replacement and upgrading work will be carried out in the coming days at Lower O’Reilly Park. 

Motions were tabled by Councillor Joe Cooney and by Cathaoirleach, Councillor Alan O’Callaghan at the November meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District. The latter told the meeting that the local Tidy Towns group had contacted all local councillors calling for an update on footpath works in the area. 

Councillor Cooney welcomed the work done to-date on the Gort Road to link with the new social housing development as well as the works on Courthouse Road which include a newly-extended footpath and public lighting all the way to the Athletic Club. 

“We are all well aware that more needs to be done,” he said. “We are well aware of the issues on Chapel St and Tulla’s Main St. I have been talking to Roads and Senior Engineer who are drawing up sketches for improvements in the area. It is not easy to get a balance right. The design will come before Council fairly soon and hopefully works will be done in 2023 to address that junction.

I hope that works on the paths on Chapel St would go ahead soon, as well as on Lower Main Street. Trojan work is being done overall.”

Councillor O’Callaghan noted local concerns that the footpath work wasn’t happening. “Now people realise there will be redesign of the junction,” he said. “I would welcome the reassurance that funding won’t be lost and that the work will be ready to go when blueprint is done. It is very important for us to get it right. IBP Insurance have been involved in giving funding. Good work will be done in Tulla soon.”

The cathaoirleach also commended the Tidy Towns group for working with the Council to improve Tulla’s amenities. “We all got an email from them asking for an update,” he said. “I want to acknowledge them. The important thing is that we are progressing. All paths might be reviewed fully in due course as there are still some issues.”

A written response to the two motions from Senior Executive Engineer Derek Troy noted that in 2021, the district had secured funding from the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the Active Travel scheme. The money was allocated in order to “improve strategic pedestrian routes, access to schools and permeability links through Tulla”. Works done to-date, from that allocation, include the Gort Road link to the recently-launched Council housing development, as well as a stretch from Courthouse Road which includes a new footpath and lighting to the Athletics Club. 

The response outlined that footpath improvement works will begin on Tulla’s Main Street and Chapel Street in December. “The works proposed at the junction of Chapel Street and Main Street requires significant design and planning, in order to meet the NTA requirements, but it is expected that these works will begin in March 2023,” Mr Troy’s reply stated. “Separately, the replacement and upgrade of the footpaths with Lower O’Reilly Park will also begin in the coming weeks, with funding for these works from General Municipal Allocation contribution and from IPB Public Liability Works funding.”