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info@eastcorkjournal.ie


Thursday, 5th


July 2018


Cautious Welcome to New Midleton Slip Road


by SEAMUS WHELEHAN


A new slip road intended to


ease


congestion near Midleton has left councillors fearing a new traffic headache. Whilst plans for the €1 million upgrade to the Lakeview roundabout are broadly welcomed it is feared that the scheme, designed to cut down queues at the R630 Junc- tion with the N25, are too short sighted. Cllrs have long cam-


paigned for a new lane to facilitate Cork bound traffic from the Ball- inacurra arm of the junction, but claim the proposed


solution will


do little to alleviate the problem. The new plan allows


for the construction of a slip road below the Circle K petrol station to the


southwest of the exist-


ing roundabout, allow- ing traffic coming from Ballinacurra and White- gate merge with the N25 westbound to Cork City, bypassing the


existing


roundabout. A Traffic Management


study of the area has re- vealed 70% of morning rush hour traffic is head- ing to Cork, with the re- maining 30% heading towards Midleton or Youghal, leading to con- cerns of further queuing. Finola O’Riordan,


substitute Senior Exec- utive Engineer with the Non National Roads De- sign Office, told the July Sitting of the East Cork Municipality, the plan is “just a short term meas- ure while a long-term solution is sought.” She said “while there


are restrictions with the garage and private res- idences, this is a signifi-


cant improvement in the workings of the rounda- bout in the early morn- ing”


Funding for the ded- icated merge lane


is


expected to come from local and planning con- tributions. Fine Gael Cllr Michael


Hegarty said that, while the plan is welcome, N25 traffic coming from Cas- tlemartyr must also re- ceive attention. He said “at some stag-


es traffic can be backed up as far as the 2 Mile Inn.”


Municipality Chair- man Noel Collins said once funding has been secured “adequate direc- tional signage and traffic lights should be put in place, and not have mo- torists doing the merry go round and ending up in a car crash.”


Cllr Collins said at present signage was “di-


abolical.” He said “It is lunacy


what is there, and mo- torists don’t know where they are going with no signage.” It’s expected the up-


grade of the roundabout would be capable of fa- cilitating the delivery of over 2,000 housing units. Last year Cork County Council sought €2million for the upgrade of the Lakeview roundabout under the Department of Housing Local Infra- structure Housing Acti- vation fund (LIHAF). However the


Hous-


ing Minister at the time, Simon Coveney, over- looked the


application,


favouring a €6million investment for the Dun- kettle interchange which would deliver 600 new homes in the Glanmire area over the years.


next 3


Wheelchair Accessible Beaches a Possibility in East Cork


by SEAMUS WHELEHAN


Cork County Council is considering the introduc- tion of mobility mats at coastal


locations around the county, to make its


beaches more accessible for people with disabilities. The portable


beach


access mats are designed specifically for use in per- manent or temporary rec- reational


used widely in many coun- tries.


the


Laid out in morning


and taken back in during the evening, matting


allows


wheelchairs , prams and oth- er mobility aid users to trav- erse across soft sand. Deputy May-


• Front Strand, Youghal. Tel: 021 463 8000 • Email: info@eastcorkjournal.ie • Web: www.eastcorkjournal.ie


or of Cork County, Cllr Mary Line- han Foley, who brought


the the areas, and are


idea to the East Cork Mu- nicipality this week,


said


many of our beaches are a navigable nightmare for people in wheelchairs. She said that, while


not all beaches are suit- able there are many like Claycastle in Youghal that would be a viable option. “We


have a amenity out there.


fantastic The


Boardwalk and prome- nade are wheelchair ac- cessible, but our beaches are not” commented the Independent Cllr. She said that while there was a newly built ramp onto Claycastle strand last year, people with mobility issues are finding it almost impossible to get across the soft sand. The Youghal based Cllr


said that providing beach access mats would ensure


eastcorkjournal


our public amenities are all-inclusive places, allow- ing people with mobility difficulties to take a dip in the ocean. The Borough Execu-


tive Clerk, Joe McCarthy, said he would forward the proposal to the Authority Beach Section for consid- eration.


• Deputy Mayor of Cork County Mary Linehan Foley.


@eastcorkjournal / #eastcorkjournal


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