Plans for new bike lanes on Cork Airport hill due within weeks
The road between Cork Airport and the Kinsale Rd roundabout has been earmarked for a major bike and pedestrian infrastructure upgrade, said Cork City Council.
Plans for new and safer bike lane infrastructure, including long sections of segregated cycle track on the Cork Airport hill, are set to be published within weeks.
The news comes following criticism on social media this week of the unsafe bike lanes on a section of the N27 following a €1.1m resurfacing project.
The work late last year left bike lanes between Cork Airport and the Kinsale Rd roundabout separated from vehicular traffic by just a line of white paint in a 100km/h zone.
A spokesman for Cork City Council accepted that the layout is not in line with modern design standards but he said the entire stretch of road has been earmarked for a major bike and pedestrian infrastructure upgrade.
Despite online reports this week that over €1m had been allocated to ‘sustainable transport projects’ on this stretch of road this year and last, the city council said a section of the road was resurfaced last November thanks to a €1.1m funding allocation from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
While the National Transport Authority (NTA) allocated some €560,000 last year for active and sustainable travel projects in this area to enhance pedestrian and cycling safety, just €100,000 was drawn down and spent on design and survey fees for the wider upgrade works.
The rest of the NTA allocation was rolled over into this year and is now about to be drawn down to fund the delivery of the new bike and pedestrian infrastructure between the roundabout and the airport before the end of this year.
The scheme will be advertised within the next two to three weeks for public consultation under the Section 38 process.
It is understood that it will include the replacement of the existing inbound and outbound cycle lanes between the Bull McCabe junction and the airport with fully segregated and protected cycle tracks.
The current arrangement where cyclists share the bus lane will continue, and the existing shared surfaces will be resurfaced.
A major revamp of the Bull McCabe junction is also planned to improve safety by reducing the crossing distance for pedestrians and by building out some corners to slow the speed of turning vehicles.
The entire project is considered a short- to medium-term interim solution pending the delivery of BusConnects proposals for this part of the city, which were announced this week.
Once that six-week consultation period is over, the feedback will be analysed and the final detailed design of the scheme will be prepared and presented to full council for discussion and/or approval.
Officials hope to have the report for council by the end of July and to start construction on the scheme before the end of this year.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
