Writes Ciaran Dineen
The delay on the instalment of the Carrigaline Running Track continues, with running enthusiasts and fitness fanatics frustrated over the near year-long wait for its arrival.
At the latest meeting of the Carrigaline Municipal District (MD), Councillor Seámus McGrath (FF) again queried the status of the running track project. It was announced this time last year that the facility would likely have been ready for the August bank holiday weekend, but this proved to be somewhat of a ‘false start’.
Following the re-emergence of public health restrictions, the development of the amenity was put on hold due to concerns over potential travel issues that could arise with the ordering and delivery of the specialised surface. The material is manufactured by a company based in Germany and has a shelf life of just four weeks from production to installment
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It was expected that the surface may have been ordered after the loosening of restrictions in early December 2020, but once level 5 guidelines were implemented and all non-essential construction was forced to halt in January, the project was forced off-track once more.
With construction work now permitted again, it is hoped that the material can now be ordered and installed without any further delays, however, council officers did not give any clear indication to Cllr McGrath of any progress in this regard.
The running track is a 1.2m wide path circling the lagoon in Carrigaline Park and will replace the existing gravel and tarmac path with a new surface of black rubber flex which is porous and helps drainage. It is hybrid material which will be softer to run on than normal road surfaces and will provide a better grip.
Work had already commenced on the track during the summer last year but the initial scope of the project was extended as the predicted cost of the amenity had been overestimated.
According to details obtained at the time, this now means that the Council were able to provide an additional 100 metres in order to link the public footpath from Church Road into the park to meet with the track, while a separate 50 metres was be allocated towards creating a desire path from the car park to the very popular skatepark. Finally, funds available will be used to install 6 additional benches and 4 picnic tables. These will be spread out for use between the Community Park and in Kilnagleary for the outdoor gym.