Writes Leo McMahon
While acknowledging that the main road had not yet been taken in charge by the county council, Cllr Una McCarthy (FG) at the monthly meeting of Carrigaline Municipal District highlighted the need for traffic calming measures at Castle Heights estate, Carrigaline.
She had a motion asking the MD to initiate a traffic survey on the road going through Castle Heights, which is the newest section of the southern relief road in Carrigaline in order to ascertain the speed and volume of traffic with a view to implementing traffic calming.
In reply, senior executive engineer Madeleine Healy replied: ‘Castle Heights is not taken in charge. The through road forms part of the relief road system which is integral to proposals regarding traffic changes to Main Street, Carrigaline’.
Noting the response and an application for a taking in charge, Cllr McCarthy said: ‘It is a through road but it’s going through a very busy housing estate with many children playing in the greens on both sides exposed to it. There are lots of cars, trucks and tractors using it on a daily basis and many are travelling at speed.’
She said residents contacted her about children running out from the greens to get a ball and near misses. A survey had been carried out before the final phase was opened but another was needed and asked if something could be done in the meantime to slow the traffic.

Seconding, Cllr Jack White (FG) said residents had genuine concerns alongside a busy road. The road formed part of a transport plan for Carrigaline dating back around 20 years with the emphasis on connectivity and keeping traffic away from Main Street. Although not taken in charge, he felt there was need for a study to be done.
In support, an cathaoirleach Cllr Seamus McGrath (FF) said he had also highlighted a similar situation in nearby Forest Hill estate and both were integral roads on the southside of Carrigaline. He felt it was possible to strike a balance to having a relief road and traffic calming in what were residential areas in order to make residents feel safer.
He suggested the council’s planning section be written to for an update on the taking in charge process for both estates as it was going on for a long time and the council couldn’t effectively do anything until this happened.
The engineer said that until taken in charge, the estate was private property so there was nothing the council could do. The long term plan was that both estates formed part of the relief road network initially under the Carrigaline Area Transport Study and more recently under the Transportation and Public Realm Enhancement Plan (TPREP) to alleviate congestion in Main Street.
‘There’s an idea out there among the general population that ramps solve everything and they don’t.’ Unless one ramped every 20 metres, a problem would still exist if a ball ran out in between. She understood that the taking in charge was being looked at but in the meantime, there was nothing the council could do.
Cllr McCarthy said speed ramps on Kilmoney Road Lower, Carrigaline and in Ballygarvan which were public roads did make a difference. She wondered if it was envisaged that so many tractors and trucks would be going through Castle Heights. When taken in charge and TPREP was rolled out, she urged that measures be taken to slow cars because she feared an accident would happen.
Cllr White welcomed the flood relief works near the entrance to Castle Heights which came from the Climate Adaptation Fund saying: ‘I am very grateful to our area office for addressing the issue and securing the funds to put a solution in place’.
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