BYCATRIONA GALLEN
PEDESTRIANS in Oldtown are risking 'life and limb' on a daily basis according to one resident who has hit out at the Town Council for failing to provide adequate road safety measures.
In an area which has seen a number of developments swell the local population, the concerned resident was angry that road improvements are development led.
"They are putting the cart before the horse every time," he said.
"There is no footpath between the Hideout bar and the new development on the Rahan road. It has been widened as part of the improvements of the new development but no footpath has been put in place. People are walking that road day and night, laden with groceries, prams and all sorts. Before cars were forced to slow but now they are flying down the hill and cannot see any pedestrians coming up. There already has been one accident and there is another just waiting to happen. Why are the Council not putting in footpaths and putting in place measures to ensure public safety first," he asked.
He also raised concerns about the volume of traffic trying to cross the Oldtown bridge and the failure to provide another crossing over the Swilly.
"On school mornings its impossible to get across the bridge. The traffic is queued back onto the Rahan road. If something happened the Port bridge there's no other way across. I know the Council have plans in place for a second bridge but it's taking years. What provision have they put in place in the meantime. Why do they not widen the bridge," he asked.
Town Engineer Mr Michael McFadden said there are plans within the Town Development Plan to build a Leck relief road. He said part of the Grey Rocks and Rahan road had been widened to nine metres as part of new developments in the area.
Mr McFadden said there was no footpath in place because the lands were in the ownership of third parties.
"The town council are in the process of procuring the necessary lands to provide a path which will be provided from development fees. This has taken some time and led to the delay," he explained.
Mr McFadden said that many improvements had been carried out including the realignment of the junction on Rahan road to improve road safety.
"There are also development charges earmarked to widen the road from the Hideout bar, a retaining wall to McNeely Villas and a pedestrian crossing. The road improvements are being provided through development charges. In an ideal world we would have control of the land and have road widening installed first but the Council simply do not have the finances," he explained.
He said water and sewerage infrastructure had been improved in Oldtown and ¤60,000 spent on strengthening the structure of the bridge and a new pedestrian crossing had been installed which was a huge success. Mr McFadden said proposals were in place for another bridge in the area but there is no indication of when it will be installed.
