Council plans €200,000 34km cycle lane on N8 in Cork

By Sean O’Riordan

Cork County Council engineers are preparing to work with members of the National Roads Design Office to plan the development of cycle lanes along a 34km-long stretch of the N8, between Watergrasshill and Mitchelstown.

They hope to have the €200,000 project “shovel ready” in advance of acquiring funding from different bodies to develop the cycle lanes, which will benefit a growing number of commuters who are choosing to leave their cars at home in favour of bicycling to and from work.

While more people are choosing the fitter, greener option, there are also a number of vibrant cycling clubs in the area whose members would benefit from the development.

Officials gave an update on their plans at a meeting of the Charleville/Fermoy municipal district council after being asked jointly by Fine Gael councillors Noel McCarthy and Kay Dawson how the proposal was progressing, in particular the section between Fermoy and Mitchelstown.

The municipal district’s senior executive engineer, Brendan O’Gorman, said they would consult with engineers from the National Roads Design Office, based in Glanmire, on how to design the cycle lanes.

He said they will be developed on the side of the main road, but not separated from traffic with a dedicated cycle path.

Mr O’Gorman said he hopes to have the design plans completed by the first quarter of next year and have them “shovel ready” for when funding comes on stream.

He said the project would be carried out in phases, with the first likely to be completed on the Fermoy-Mitchelstown stretch.

Council officials said, in the meantime, they would look at a number of avenues of potential grant aid from different government departments to fund such projects.

Ms Dawson said there are vibrant cycling clubs in Fermoy and Mitchelstown that are constantly using the road and it would be of huge benefit to them.

Mr McCarthy said he knows of a number of people who cycle from the greater Fermoy area to work in the agricultural research centre at Moorepark, near Kilworth, and that they would also benefit from the project.

Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn said he knows of people who cycle from Killavullen, near Mallow, to Moorepark and suggested that funding could be available from the Healthy Towns initiative.