TII confirms it won’t approve changes to Castlerea traffic scheme

Transport Infrastructure Ireland has confirmed that it won’t approve changes proposed by councillors to the Castlerea traffic scheme because they differ "substantially in terms of design and safety benefit" to the original scheme.

The news, contained in correspondence from the TII and read out at a meeting of Roscommon Municipal District, was met with disappointment by councillors.

In order for a new Part 8 scheme to be approved, TII said a revised feasibility and options report must be submitted “where significant scope changes have occurred”.

“If the safety benefit is no longer demonstrated, TII may not provide funding in such cases,” said the letter.

The traffic scheme proposals involve the installation of two signal-controlled traffic lights at the Main Street/St. Patrick Street junction – known locally as Delaney’s Corner - and the Main Street/Boyle Road (R361) junction.

The plans also involve the upgrading of existing pedestrian crossings on Main Street and St. Patrick Street, and the installation of two new pedestrian crossings on Main Street. The measures are aimed at enabling the two main junctions in the town to operate more efficiently, make the town safer for pedestrians and vulnerable road users, and slow down vehicles going through the town.

Roscommon Municipal District councillors had previously called for a number of changes to the proposed scheme, warning that the plan in its current form would lead to a substantial loss of existing on-street car-parking spaces in the town, and have a detrimental impact on local businesses and residents.

At the July meeting of the Municipal District, Cllr Paschal Fitzmaurice said that councillors had embraced many of the elements of the traffic safety scheme but without the amendments proposed, the scheme will  “decimate the shops and are totally unacceptable”.

He said unlike Roscommon Town, Castlerea did not have the benefit of large parking spaces at the rear of shops, and his proposals identifying pieces of land for additional parking “did not get much of a response from the council”.

“It wouldn’t have cost a lot of money and would have helped the flow of traffic,” he said.

Expressing concerns that the whole scheme would be “put back out on the drawing board”, Cllr Fitzmaurice suggested that a meeting be set up with TII representatives “to explain our rationale”.

Fellow Castlerea councillor Gareth Scahill believed that the TII needed to listen to the people on the ground. He said this happened in Roscommon Town where the community was brought along. The Fine Gael councillor also spoke of the need for off-street parking as part of any plan.

Cllr Marty McDermott said he was disappointed with the response from the TII and that it was pity that they didn’t come down to Castlerea “and engage with the people."

Director of Services Mark Keaveney said that TII funding approval was based on meeting certain standards “in their eyes”. Pointing out that Castlerea had been approved for funding for its Town Centre First plan, he said this might be a way of resolving the issues.

He suggested that it might allow supporting infrastructure to be put in place in order to get the traffic scheme re-proposed.

In the TII correspondence read out to councillors, it noted that turning lanes hindered proper junction layout and visibility due to constrained site and building lines. “To provide safe and efficient roads, vehicles should be able to pass each other on the national roads. The existing parking prevents two-way traffic,” it said.

The correspondence said that the provision of off-street parking was also outside the remit of TII and did not form part of the safety scheme approved for funding by TII.