Writes Ciaran Dineen
Cork County Council have agreed to carry out some remedial work to Ballinrea Cross following a re-emergence of concerns over the safety aspect of the junction.
Cllr Seámus McGrath, in a motion at the first meeting of the Carrigaline Municipal District since the summer recess, strongly requested that interim safety measures be implemented at the Cross, pending the implementation of the infamous roundabout, that has long been tabled.
In June, Cllr McGrath had expressed concerns over the delay to the redesign of Ballinrea Cross, particularly given the opening of the new three-school campus in the area. In 2017, after planning permission was granted for the construction of the site, which will soon be home to the Gaelscoil, Gaelcholáiste and SONAS, councillors in the then Ballincollig-Carrigaline district had been informed that as part of the overall process, Ballinrea Cross would be upgraded to support traffic flow and make the necessary changes required to deal with the new educational services.
However, despite the constant request from councillors and residents alike for Ballinrea Cross to be included as part of the Ballinrea Road and Ashgrove Roundabout design process, the Council indicated that it would instead have to be formed in a separate design proposal, but it was made clear both then and several times previously that the project would look to be completed before the opening of the large campus.
With works nearing completion on Ballinrea Road and Ashgrove Roundabout, the future of Ballinrea Cross is very much in its preliminary phase, with Cllr McGrath being informed that it will likely be another 18 months before a roundabout is constructed.
A local resident recently reached out to the community seeking any information regarding the plans for the Cross, after raising concerns over the nature of current traffic flow. Cllr McGrath acknowledged the issues raised relating to safety, stating that cars nearly have to be in the middle of the road in order to be able to see whether there are oncoming vehicles coming from both the Ballygarvan side of the road and the Douglas side.
Speaking to The Carrigdhoun Newspaper, Cllr McGrath also said that he had put in a request whereby there would be a temporary reduction in the speed limit around the area, noting that for the safety element to improve, motorists “need to slow down” going through the junction. “I do think it’s an emergency”, Cllr McGrath added. “We need to deal with this, the roundabout is at least 18 months away and that is the reality. So, we have to put solid, interim measures in place going forward.”
In their response to the councillor, Cork County Council have stated that they will re-mark the approach lines on all approaches to the junction, as well as conducting a review of the signage that is currently in place. Madeline Healy, Senior Executive Engineer, also said that she would seek to introduce speed flashing signs along the east-west part of the road, acknowledging the need to promote traffic calming.