Speeding on the approach road to Monkstown needs to be addressed’, said Cllr Marcia D’Alton (Ind) at the monthly meeting of the County Council’s Carrigaline Municipal District (MD).
Writes Leo McMahon
Recently, she stated, a BMW car was driven so fast on the R610 outside Monkstown that it wrapped itself around a light pole and took down the latter. Fortunately the driver was fine but it highlighted the need to warn drivers about reducing speed when approaching the village.
The MD had already drawn up a Gateway Scheme aimed at reducing speed. ‘The work has been done so it just has to be implemented’, Cllr D’Alton added.
Senior executive engineer Madeleine Healy said she herself put the brakes on the Gateway scheme until such time as the county-wide speed limit review was done. Consideration also had to be taken of further proposed works on the Greenway path from Monkstown towards Raffeen which could change the road profile from a speed perspective.
Now that there was a 30 kilometres per hour speed limit in the village, the scheme might well require tweaking but it should be possible for it to link in with this new limit.
She undertook to discuss the proposed Gateway Scheme with the council’s traffic and transportation section as well as the need to advertise the 30kph limit on the approach to Monkstown and something to slow traffic further back coming from Raffeen. Cllr D’Alton welcomed this, adding that sensor flashing speed display signs was another suggestion. It was agreed that the engineer would report back.
Arising out of a discussion about the extent of the 30kph limit in Crosshaven, Cllr D’Alton said a similar situation applied in Monkstown village where it was impossible to keep to the 30kph limit, yet narrower streets and residential areas off it such as Castle Terrace and the Glen were 50kph, effectively inviting drivers to go faster.
An Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) friendly Communications board was ordered for the playground in Monkstown, reported MD officer Carol Conway.
Cllr D’Alton referred again to a pothole at the Pucks near Murph’s pub on the Monkstown-Raffeen road and another at Curragh Hill as one turns from Raffeen up to Shanbally on the last bend. She called for a crash barrier on the R610 leading to Raffeen.
In reply, acting senior executive engineer Alan Cogan said he had been in touch with Irish Water who hoped to have a contractor there soon to do a permanent job.
The pothole at Curragh Hill would be attended to, he continued, but as regards the N28, he said some works were organised recently by the Transport Infrastructure Ireland near Slyne’s Garage. He would speak to maintenance contractor Lagan about the hard shoulders and undertook to follow up regarding the crash barrier.
Welcoming the recent works near Shanbally roundabout, Cllr D’Alton voiced concern about the general condition of the hard shoulders on the busy N28 which were muddy and poor. She asked that TII be contacted.
All the lights in Marmullane Park, Passage West were out of order as were two at Roberts Bridge, reported Cllr D’Alton who asked that the footpath be built up opposite the playground in Passage West because the nearby house was prone to flooding. The engineer undertook to attend to the latter.
Cllr D’Alton asked that some of the Urban Forestry Fund for the MD be used to replace trees at Park View, Monkstown. It was agreed to discuss this fund at the next meeting.