Short-term traffic management plan for gridlocked Cork coastal tourist town

Cork County Council engineers are to draw up a traffic management plan aimed at easing gridlock in one of the country’s busiest tourist towns.

Fine Gael councillor Marie O’Sullivan, who runs a restaurant and café in Kinsale, urged council engineers to identify short-term measures to improve traffic flow ahead of the 2027 tourist season.

She said the situation had become so serious that emergency vehicles were experiencing difficulties getting through the town, while traffic congestion also posed safety risks for pedestrians and cyclists.

Ms O’Sullivan welcomed news that the council is progressing plans for a Northern Relief Road, but acknowledged it would be many years before the project is completed.

“The current situation can’t continue. It is a concern for businesses and locals. Even small tweaks could make a lot of difference at the end of the day,” she said.

'Chaotic, to say the least'

Fine Gael’s John Michael Foley, chairperson of the Bandon-Kinsale Municipal District, described traffic in Kinsale as “chaotic, to say the least” and any measures to ease congestion would be welcomed.

Fianna Fáil’s Gillian Coughlan said that in addition to the large number of visitors the town attracts each summer, Kinsale’s population has grown considerably over the last decade, placing further pressure on the road network.

She said the proposed Northern Relief Road would not only help reduce congestion, but would also open up land on the northern side of the town for housing development.

In response, council officials acknowledged the seasonal pressures experienced on Kinsale’s road network, citing increased visitor numbers, local traffic demand, and the limitations of the existing road layout.

The council secured €50,000 in Government funding in January to progress the assessment and development of the proposed Northern Relief Road.

Reducing pressure on network

Council engineers said the project has the potential to provide a long-term solution to congestion by accommodating through traffic and reducing pressure on the existing town centre road network.

In a statement, the engineers said that while the relief road would require further planning, design, and funding approvals before construction could begin, the council’s roads office would continue to investigate smaller-scale improvements to traffic flow in the meantime.

The statement added: “These measures include enhanced directional signage to encourage HGV through traffic to utilise the R600 route rather than the R605 through The Glen, together with targeted lining and road marking improvements at key locations to better channel traffic and improve driver guidance in advance of the 2027 summer period.”