Relief road needed to ease traffic at Castletownbere port

Major plans to ease traffic congestion at the country’s biggest whitefish port are likely to take years to finalise, unless a relief road can be built.

Consultants have started preliminary work on traffic-management plans for Castletownbere, which, it is hoped, will benefit not just the seafood industry, but locals and tourists.

More than 60 local submissions have been made, a meeting of the West Cork municipal district council, in Bantry, was told.

Many felt it was vital a relief road be built around the town to accommodate a projected major growth in HGVs.

This is to coincide with a huge planned investment in the fishing sector.

It is expected that the investment will generate many millions of euro extra per year for the fishing industry, in the future.

More than 100 people attended a first public consultation meeting on the traffic-management plan at the Beara Coast Hotel, last November, and 60 later made formal submissions.

Council officials said they hope the consultants, AECOM, will publish the first draft of their plan in May, which will then be followed by a second round of public consultation.

It’s expected the final report will be published in October.

Many of those who made submissions said pedestrians were not being catered for in Castletownbere and they were also critical of the lack of proper public transport.

They claimed bus stops were not in the appropriate places.

They also cited the lack of adequate parking spaces, which they say exacerbates congestion.

Consultants have already conducted traffic surveys, speaking to drivers about where their journey originated and terminated. They have also carried out a review of all accidents in the town in recent years, so as to improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.

While there are no cycle lanes in the town, the consultants will also look to see if there is room to develop them safely.

AECOM have also accessed traffic volumes at 13 junctions in the town during peak periods.

Council officials said that while it was hoped some improvements would be made soon, the traffic-management plan will look at how to deal with the port’s expansion over the next 15-25 years.

Cllr Mary Hegarty said it was vitally important that something be done to improve traffic flow in the town, because the major, increased investment in the local fishing industry would provide much-needed new jobs into the future.

Cllr Paul Hayes said he was delighted that so many people had made formal submissions to the consultants.

Meanwhile, a row broke out about a delegation to meet Minister for Transport, Shane Ross, this Wednesday, to discuss roads in West Cork. Councillors were omitted. Cllr Hayes was the only councillor from the region to be invited to accompany the delegation, which was organised by Independent TD, Michael Collins.

Cllr Hegarty (FG), chair of the Western Division, and Cllr Declan Hurley, chair of the municipal district, said they were upset that they hadn’t been included in the invitation. “I think it’s disrespect that Deputy Collins contacted just one member,” Cllr Hurley said.

“I feel a bit aggrieved, too,” added Cllr Hegarty.