Harbour View Road residents call for safety measures to be installed after latest crash

CONCERNED residents on Cork's Harbour View Road have again expressed their fears over the high volumes of traffic in their area following a traffic collision on the road this week.

Funding was recently granted for traffic calming measures in the Knocknaheeny area.

The €25,000 funding for the project on Harbour View Road follows a campaign by local residents after two high profile traffic incidents on the road last year.

16-year-old Kimberly O'Connor was killed when a car she was travelling in collided with a wall near her home just before midnight on February 19, 2020.

Don O’Sullivan, one of those involved in the local campaign, told The Echo there is a huge amount of traffic on the road.

 “This road has had a lot of incidents. We had a fatality last year. The road is very long. It is probably about two kilometres. It starts at the end of Baker’s Road coming into the entrance to Knocknaheeny and it runs all the way up to the Apple Computer plant. You are going through a residential area. It is a very busy road. I did a test recently. Over 1100 vehicles used the road over an hour,” he said.

The Harbour View Road residents have lobbied extensively for traffic calming measures to be implemented in the area to help ease safety concerns. 

Mr O’Sullivan said the residents want traffic calming measures to be implemented as soon as possible. 

FUNDING

“We have been lobbying the local councillors and Cork City Council to put in infrastructure and speed ramps to slow down the traffic. We were successful in getting €25,000 towards traffic calming measures. It is a built-up area and there are a lot of children playing outside. We also have a lot of young people going around in scramblers. We want security and peace of mind.

“The two speed responder signals which were installed were very welcome. We now need solid infrastructure put in place. It is a really busy road and we want something done about it,” he added.

Thomas Gould who is the TD for Cork North Central welcomed the funding allocated for the traffic calming measures on Harbour View Road. 

“The residents want traffic calming measures. Cork City Council has confirmed that they are going to put in a number of traffic calming measures. This will help to make the road safer. Harbour View Road must be one of the busiest roads in Cork city. There is no start date for the commencement of this work.” 

Deputy Gould said they will have to find another solution on a long-term basis however to alleviate the volume of traffic on the road. 

“Long term the only way to alleviate the problem is to build the Northern Ring Road to take the volume of traffic off the road.” 

A spokesperson on behalf of An Garda Síochána told The Echo: “Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of a two-vehicle road traffic collision on Harbour View Road, Knocknaheeney, Co. Cork at approximately 11:30, on [Wednesday]. 

"A woman aged in her 40s received treatment at the scene and was taken to Cork University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Enquiries are ongoing.”