‘Forgotten no more’ as Togher works begin

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Fianna Fáil councillor Fergal Dennehy, has said he is delighted that long-awaited road upgrade works in what a previous lord mayor described as “a forgotten corner of Cork” are due to begin in the coming weeks.

Main works on the Lehenaghmore Road Improvement Scheme are due to begin toward the end of August, Cork City Council has said, with Glas Civil Engineering Ltd appointed as the main contractor.

The scheme is intended to improve the road, cycling and pedestrian links from Togher to the residential areas along the Lehenaghmore and Togher roads which have been developed in recent years, including new estates such as Matthew Hill, Coolkellure, Manor Park, and Aisling Court.

The area previously came under the jurisdiction of Cork County Council but became part of the city in 2019, after which plans for a new road with upgraded active travel infrastructure were prepared.

The project received Part 8 planning approval four years ago but a compulsory purchase order (CPO) process involving over 80 individual plots and 25 different landowners ensued, and the resultant CPOs were only confirmed last year.

The process dragged on for so long that one of Mr Dennehy’s predecessors as lord mayor, former councillor Mick Finn, described the area as a “forgotten corner” of the city.

Mr Dennehy said the CPO process had gone on for “months and months and months” but, he added, “we’re finally there and I’m absolutely delighted”.

“It’s long been a priority of mine, and the scheme will finally bring much needed safer facilities for all road users in the area, where no facilities previously existed and for which the demand for has grown.

“It will be of huge benefit to the residents of Lehenaghmore and those coming to do business in the area,” Mr Dennehy said.

Mr Finn said he hoped the area was “forgotten no more”, and he knew residents had been frustrated by the long delays.

“It was like a no man’s land before the city council stepped in, and the new roads and the new footpaths will be very welcome, the scheme is long overdue,” Mr Finn said.

“I think the scheme will mean that the people up there will be connected with the city in lots of ways that they weren’t before, but I would caution that with all of the new development in the area, I think more work will be required into the medium future in terms of the roads and the transport options up there."

The project, funded by the National Transport Authority, will start at Tramore Rd Roundabout and take in the L2455 Pouladuff Road, extending southwards to Barrett’s Junction. From there, the scheme will follow the L2454 Togher Road from Barrett’s Junction northwest and downhill near the Route 14 bar.

When completed, the scheme will deliver new footpaths and pedestrian crossings, improved junctions and sightlines, new public transport and cycle facilities, and improved public lighting and traffic calming solutions.

The works are expected to last approximately 18 months and will be carried out in phases.

Updates to works will be provided on Cork City Council’s social media platforms and on www.corkcity.ie , as well as to residents by the contractor’s on-site dedicated stakeholder liaison officer.

Works that will be carried out in the scheme include:

• Road re-alignment and widening and resurfacing;
• Renewal and widening of existing footpaths, and new footpath construction;
• Construction of a new pedestrian/cycle bridge, adjacent to the railway bridge on Matthew Hill;
• Installation of new and improved bus stops;
• Construction of new cycling facilities;
• Signalisation of the Forge Hill junction;
• Junction improvements at Barrett’s Junction;
• Landscaping and planting;
• New stormwater drainage systems;
• New energy-efficient and environmentally sensitive public lighting;
• Construction of new retaining walls.