€14m plan to ease Glanmire gridlock
Details of the proposals to upgrade the road infrastructure in the greater Glanmire area have gone out for public consultation.
The plans have been drawn up by Cork County Council and AECOM Design Consultants and include 16 improvement works in the area which, it is hoped, will make life easier for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.
The project is aimed at combating the peak-time congestion problem in Glanmire and addressing the increased vehicle movements which are expected when a number of large housing projects earmarked for the area are completed in the coming years.
Cork County Council’s acting senior planner Ross Palmer said the work will be carried out in two phases.
The vast majority of the money for the first phase, which will cost up to €9m, has been granted by the Government from its Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund. The fund was set up to provide infrastructure to enable new housing projects to be built.
Mr Palmer said it was envisaged that phase one of the project will get under way next January and will be completed by the end of 2019. That includes increasing vehicle capacity at the Church Hill and Riverstown Cross junctions and at the Glanmire Rd/Hazelwood Rd junction, which will become signalised.
Traffic lights will also be installed at the Riverstown Rd/East Cliff Rd junction and a new link road will be created between Riverstown and Hazelwood, to run past the Aldi supermarket.
The Dunkettle road will be upgraded and have cycle and pedestrian routes along it between the AIB and Woodville. Parts of the East Cliff Road will also be realigned.
A greenway will be created, with a dedicated cycle and pedestrian route connecting Glanmire Community College with Coláiste an Phiarsigh. It will predominantly run through John O’Callaghan Park.
Mr Palmer said money had yet to be allocated for the second phase of the project. When it is, it will include development contributions from local developers, including O’Flynn Construction, which recently received planning permission for more than 600 homes at Ballinglanna. It is expected that company will also seek planning permission for many more homes on the grounds of the former Dunkettle House.
Phase two will include upgrades in that area and improvements at the Brook Inn junction.
In addition, it is planned to create a new pedestrian and cycle bridge next to Glanmire bridge.
Council engineers and consultants unveiled their plans at a public exhibition held in Glanmire Scout Hall.
Local councillor Ger Keohane said the greenway “was particularly welcome”.
He said any concerns about the overall project will be addressed, and urged people to make submissions.
“We have one crack at it to make this development a positive for Glanmire.”
