€800k upgrade on one of Cork's busiest roundabouts is labelled 'a farce'

AN €800,000 upgrade to one of the busiest roundabouts in Cork’s commuter belt has been labelled a farce, with motorists left baffled by the new layout and fearing for their safety.

The Shannonpark Roundabout outside Carrigaline has been the subject of a four-month “enhancement project” to ease congestion for motorists going to Ringaskiddy, Carrigaline, and the city.

The redesign has been described as “dangerous”, with new lanes running into each other, and confusing road markings. There are calls for the project to be re-examined on safety grounds.

The works were meant to include a slip road to Ringaskiddy, but these plans were changed before the contracts were signed in early January, without consulting local councillors.

Carrigaline councillor Seamus McGrath said people are now wondering what the purpose of the works and benefits of the project were.

The original plan, including the slip road, was agreed by county councillors, but the changes were made without any consultation.

Mr McGrath said: “We are awaiting written answers from the council on their reasons for changing the plan and also on their authority to make these changes without consulting the councillors.

“There is a lot of confusion among people about how to use the entirely new layout.

“The safety of the junction needs to be assessed and the council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) have to answer to that.”

The roundabout is one of the busiest in Cork’s commuter belt and is regularly clogged with traffic during rush hour periods.

As well as a written report from the council on the decision to remove the slip road to Ringaskiddy, a full safety audit is also being called for by Cork South Central TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire who said the redesigned roundabout has caused uproar in the local community.

Fine Gael councillor Liam O’Connor said the new road markings helped to improve the situation slightly and he expected it to become more effective as drivers become more used to the set-up.

The works were deemed necessary to cope with the growing demand for road access from commuters.

The council also said the project was required to improve road infrastructure ahead of the development of an 800-home housing estate in the area.

The 100-acre Janeville site was purchased by Astra Construction Services in 2004, and building started on the site in 2017. There are more than 150 people working on the site.

Janeville may take seven or eight years to complete over a number of phases, given the scale and size of the 100-acre development.