Roads funding increased

ENNIS Town Council has been allocated €410,000 from the Department of Transport for its road programme for the year.

This amount represents an increase of 10% on last year’s allocation of €373,000. Town engineer, Eamonn O’Dea, explained that the council has requested that the allocation be used for priority work in dealing with flood and frost-damaged roads.
A total of €207,000 is to be spent on road surfacing. Among the roads being surfaced under the programme are the Drumbiggle Road, The Turnpike Road, Parnell Street from Cabey’s Lane to Woodquay, Tobairteascain Road, Tulla Road, Gort Road, Garraunkilla, Clare Road, Dalcassian Drive, Bindon Street car park and the public road at Ennis Educate Together.
A further €65,000 will be spent on footpath upgrading and construction work, particularly in the town centre area. Footpaths at the junction of Clonroadmore and Tobairteascain, at the railway yard end of the Quin Road and on Drehidnagower Road will also be improved.
The council also proposes to upgrade Barrett’s Lane and Brady’s Lane off Parnell Street at a cost of approximately €30,000.
An allocation of €15,000 is being made for improvements to the existing road drainage soak system at Woodhaven on the Shanaway Road. Town engineer, Eamonn O’Dea, acknowledged that a significant amount of representations had been made in relation to drainage issues in the Woodhaven Estate and that he hoped the works would resolve the matter.
Under the programme, pedestrian crossing will be constructed at Clonroadmore from Station Road to the Quin Roada, at Sandfield Road north of the Watery Road junction, at Lifford Road near the roundabout at Steel’s Terrace and at Mill Road north of Circular Road junction. An allocation of €84,000 has been made for this work.
In addition, an allocation of €11,000 is being put towards the provision of signs and speed ramps and associated markings at the crossing point on Circular Road for Ennis Golf Club. A pelican crossing will be provided at this location subject to a contribution of €10,000 from Ennis Golf Club.
€3,000 has been provided for the installation of bicycle-parking facilities around the town and another €20,000 will be used for the upgrading and placing of new road markings as per the traffic management plan at Drumcliff Cross and Carmody Street.
Councillor Johnny Flynn said that he felt the town council would be getting “great value out of the money” with the proposed works.
Green Party Councillor Brian Meaney said that next year he would hope to see bicycle lanes on the programme.