Council reveals plan for €50m city facelift

A €50 MILLION plan to reshape Limerick city centre was unveiled yesterday.

Its aim is to reduce traffic and open up streets to pedestrians and shoppers.

The plan includes the roll out of an Inner City Orbital Route to cater for traffic in a one and two-lane clockwise traffic system.

The design work has been carried out by Nick de Jong Associates.

New pedestrianised street ways will form a major part of the new-look city centre.

Limerick City Council is to apply for funding from the National Development Plan’s (NDP’s) gateways innovation fund to finance the project.

The city is one of nine designated spacial strategy gateway centres identified in the NDP for regional investment.

Limerick City Manager Tom Mackey said it was a highly achievable plan.

He said: “We plan to lift Limerick’s position so that it can compete with other cities and that we will have a city centre to compare with any in Europe.

“We want to create a vibrant city centre and give priority to the people who live there, work there and shop there —— rather than giving priority to traffic.”

He said a consultation process will involve the public along with taxi companies, Bus Éireann, the gardaí and city businesses.

The council’s director of transport and infrastructure, Pat Dromey said one-way orbital routes in city centres were considered a very efficient and safe way of keeping traffic moving.

The new plan will go on public display in two weeks.

Mayor of Limerick Cllr Joe Leddin said: “By investing millions of euro in the city centre, the city council is matching the confidence demonstrated by many private investors who have already heavily invested.”