Safety improvements 'must be carried out' on N25 between Carrigtwohill and Midleton

Cork councillors say urgent measures are needed after planned upgrade to one of Cork's busiest roads was mothballed

A meeting of Cork County Council’s Southern Division heard councillors call for remedial action on the N25 between Carrigtwohill and Midleton. Picture: Denis Minihane

The agency responsible for the country’s infrastructure is to be told that a number of urgent safety improvements must be carried out on one of the busiest roads in Co Cork, now that a major upgrade of the route has been shelved due to a lack of funding.

A proposed multi-million euro upgrade of the N25 between Carrigtwohill and Midleton was mothballed some months ago when Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) announced it would not receive the funding promised by Government for the project. The news caused uproar at the time, and was heavily criticised by local business groups.

A meeting of Cork County Council’s Southern Division has now heard councillors call for remedial action to be undertaken to protect the large number of motorists using the road.

Fine Gael councillors Anthony Barry and Michael Hegarty said it is vital that some safety measures be put in place along the route as there is no indication of when the major upgrade will get funding.

Padraig Barrett, the council’s director of roads, said that he and his officials will soon be submitting proposals to TII for safety improvements along the road: 

There are a number of safety issues there which need addressing.

Mr Barrett said that the roads directorate is also preparing to send a file to TII and the Department of Transport on the need to make safety improvements on the Carrigtwohill-Cobh road.

He was responding to concerns raised by Green Party councillor Alan O’Connor who voiced concerns about the poor quality of the “twisty road” for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Cork County Council has sent designs for the completion of the eastern part of Midleton’s northern bypass to Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and is awaiting approval to start work. File picture: Denis Minihane

Mr O’Connor said he recently tried to walk the road, but when he got near Fota Wildlife Park he gave up because it was “very dangerous”.

Mr Barrett said the council is completing a major Great Island Transport Study to address such issues and is to forward it to the Department of Transport by the end of this month in the hope of getting funding approval to make the main road into Cobh safer.

“We need additional traffic and access solutions for Great Island, and it’s urgent,” said Mr Barrett.

Fianna Fáil councillor Sheila O’Callaghan was also concerned about safety on the road and said she hopes it can be addressed quickly.

Meanwhile, the council has also sent designs for the completion of the eastern part of Midleton’s northern bypass to TII, and is awaiting approval to start work.

In response to queries from Fine Gael councillors Michael Creed and Ted Lucey, Mr Barrett said the council is in discussions with the contractor working on the Macroom bypass to get a section of it open to traffic before the end of the year.

Mr Creed said a number of athletics and cycling clubs in the area are hoping to hold pre-opening fundraising events on it. Mr Barrett said he would talk to these clubs and see if the events can be safely accommodated.

Once the Macroom bypass — which runs from Ballincollig to Macroom — is opened, Mr Barrett said his staff would look at measures to make it safer along what will then become the former N22.

“I agree there’s a need for safety measures there,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Barrett told Fianna Fáil councillor Mary Linehan-Foley he would look at possible safety improvements on the N25 near the Burgess filling station, east of Killeagh, which she said was “lethal”.