Carrigaline relief road ‘step closer’

THE construction of the €7m Carrigaline Western Relief Road has taken a step closer with Cork County Council saying new figures on increased traffic volumes will strengthen the case for Government funding.

Traffic volumes in Carrigaline have increased 150% since a multi-criteria analysis report was initially carried out in 2006.

The 2006 report showed Carrigaline’s main street carries 15,000 vehicles a day.

Transport Minister, Shane Ross, indicated in April that the piece of infrastructure, which has been repeatedly called for by local representatives for the last decade, would not receive funding until after 2021.

However, County Hall director of roads, Tom Stritch, said: “We put in a multi-criteria analysis report earlier this year and it was sent back to us as we were asked for an update on the traffic study that was carried out previously.

“The update will make the case for the road even more clear because the volumes that have come back are between 1.5 and 1.6 times more than what was there when the original study was done.

“We hope to have that updated report with the department this month and hopefully that will allow funding to be allocated. We should have the tender documents ready quite quickly once funding becomes available. If we can get the multi-criteria analysis report approved by the department then there should be a funding line,” he added.

The relief road is to be located a short distance west of Carrigaline main street and it is hoped it will allow traffic to bypass the town.

Census 2016 figures showed Carrigaline is the fastest growing town in the county.

Once Ballincollig is subsumed into the city in the boundary extension, Carrigaline will be the county’s most populated town.

Fine Gael Councillor John A Collins has repeatedly warned that the town can no longer afford to develop housing without addressing basic infrastructure needs, while Seamus McGrath (FF) has described the road as “critically important” for its future.