Contentious Washington St bike lane went ahead against Garda advice

A concrete plinth was installed in the middle of one of Cork’s busiest roads as part of a controversial bike lane project against Garda road safety advice.

The news emerged last night after it emerged that two cars were involved in separate accidents over the weekend on Washington St after striking the plinth which was installed before Christmas.

Both vehicles were extensively damaged — with two tyres damaged on each of the cars.

One caller to The Opinion Line on Cork’s 96FM said yesterday his son now faces a repair bill of up to €400 after the incident.

The lord mayor’s driver, Jordan Bracken, is also facing a hefty repair bill for his own private car after his vehicle struck the plinth.

It is the latest controversy to hit the new road layout on one of the city’s busiest streets.

The changes to the main westbound route out of the city were introduced before Christmas to accommodate the installation of new cycle lanes between University College Cork and the city centre.

The new layout left just one lane for traffic and has resulted in long tailbacks at rush hour.

The works resulted in the relocation of two of the city’s busiest taxi ranks — one outside Reardens, one of the busiest entertainment complexes in the city — to an area across the street.

Gardaí expressed health and safety concerns about late-night revellers having to cross the busy road for a cab.

The layout was reviewed in recent weeks and revised proposals for a new taxi rank on the Rearden’s side of the street have been agreed.

But a senior Garda spokesman confirmed last night that they still have concerns about the layout, particularly the installation of a concrete plinth to separate vehicular traffic from the bike lane.

He said the Garda authorities made their views on the design and layout known to city officials, but that the works as proposed continued without change.

While gardaí have no record on their Pulse system of traffic accidents involving the plinth, he said gardaí are aware of numerous incidents of pedestrians tripping on the concrete structure.

“It is a hazard on the road. We were against it and we still are,” he said.

“People don’t expect it to be in the middle of the road. It is grey in colour, and blends into the road surface.”

He said they also have concerns about the “squeezing” of vehicular traffic using the main westbound route of the city centre.

Gardaí have asked for the plinth to be removed, and for it to be replaced by temporary plastic bollards.

In the meantime, he urged motorists to drive with extreme care in the area.

A spokesman for City Hall was not available for comment.