Promised roundabout fails to materialise

RESIDENTS of Cappahard and Oakleigh Wood are “frustrated” that a promised roundabout on the Tulla Road has yet to materialise, with talks of a possible protest. While Ennis Town Council have agreed that a roundabout is the most appropriate solution to ongoing traffic problems in the area, “the critical issue is obtaining funding,” a senior engineer has stated.

A recent meeting of Ennis East electoral area councillors heard Councillor Johnny Flynn call on the county council to draw down a loan to pay for the works. “This is an issue that has been going on for 15 years. The residents are very frustrated and there is talk that they will carry out protests unless they see some progression. There are families there 15 years and when they moved in with young children they were promised a roundabout. Those children are now driving. Frustration is building,” he said. He added that there had been a number of “near-fatal” accidents in the area.

Town manager and director of service, Ger Dollard, pointed out that there has been a lot of engagement between the council and residents on this matter and “it is clear a roundabout is the solution”. He stated that the works needed would be a “significant scheme” costing around €250,000 but that he did not see a loan for the works “being a runner” due to IMF constraints. Other areas of the town are also seeking roundabouts and loans could not obtained for all of them, he added. Mr Dollard stated that Government funding, if allocated, could provide a solution.

Robert Burns, executive engineer for the Ennis Electoral Area, outlined, “This junction was recently assessed for the option of signalisation as an alternative to the roundabout which had previously been designed.

“This was carried out to determine whether potential savings on land and construction costs might result. It was found that the configeration of the junction and the likely delays indicated that the roundabout would be a more appropriate solution.

The senior engineer, roads section and staff of Ennis Town Council recently met with a group of local residents to discuss issues concerning the project. The acquisition of lands, appropriate design and a Part VIII process all need to be completed. The council are further examining the proposal, with a view to determining a budget cost for the construction of the roundabout and associated works. The critical issue is obtaining funding for the works.”

Calls were also made for further traffic-calming measures including speed limit signs to be provided from the motorway via the Tulla Road entrance into the town centre to enable safe exit and entry from housing estates and improve safety for vulnerable road users.

According to Councillor Flynn, “This is one of the busiest roads in and out of Ennis, with a volume of over six million vehicle movements a year, that is 15,000 a day. The amount of activity on the road has been hugely impacted by the bypass.”

Mr Burns responded, “A number of traffic-calming and road safety measures are proposed along the section of road referred to.”
As well as junction improvements proposed for the Tulla Road, R352 and Cappahard and Oakleigh Wood, pedestrian/cycle crossing points are included within the programme of Low Cost Safety Measures for 2013.

“Other road safety measures will be considered, subject to establishing a specific need and the availability of the necessary resources to provide the measures.”

A report on the change in speed and volume of traffic on the Tulla Road since the installation of the digital speed signs was also outlined at the meeting.
Initial analysis of the data recorded on the solar powered digital speed signs in July and Augsut 2011 indicated that the  average speed on the inbound and outbound lanes was 44 km/h. The 85th percentile, or 85% of vehicles at or below a specified speed, was at 52 km/h. The legal speed limit is 50km/h.

A detailed traffic count carried out by the Road Design Office over a 24 hour period in late January 2013 at Fitzpatrick’s Supermarket/ petrol station indicated that the average speed was 41 km/h with 85th percentile speed at 49 km/h.

According to Mr Burns, this figure represented a “significant improvement on the speeds recorded in July/August 2011”.
“The data provided by the digital speed signs is currently being analysed and further information will be available when this latest round of analysis is complete,” concluded Mr Burns.

Mr Dollard stated that the roll-out of more signs wil be carried out in conjunction with the gardaí to identify where they the devices would be most effective.