Cork councillors call for major traffic survey for gridlocked Fermoy

It can now take up to 35 minutes to cross Thomas Kent bridge in Fermoy during peak times, councillors told

Councillors say a golden opportunity was missed to solve the town’s traffic jams when An Bord Pleanála refused a junction connection to the motorway (M8) with the N72 — the main Rosslare to Killarney road. Picture: Richard Mills

Transport authorities have been asked to fund a major traffic survey in a gridlocked North Cork town which local councillors maintain can only be effectively addressed by constructing another bridge.

Cork County Council is to apply for funding from Transport Infrastructure Ireland to carry out the study in Fermoy. According to councillors, it can now take up to 35 minutes to cross Thomas Kent bridge in Fermoy during peak times.

They say a golden opportunity was missed to solve the town’s traffic jams when An Bord Pleanála refused a junction connection to the motorway (M8) with the N72 — the main Rosslare to Killarney road.

Fine Gael councillor Noel McCarthy said the situation in Fermoy was at a critical crossroads because more businesses have been already given planning permission to locate there, further ones are expressing interest, but gridlock will only get worse if a solution is not found.

He said existing businesses have already expressed concern about increasing traffic jams and his party colleague, Kay Dawson, added that if a town gets a reputation for being “bottlenecked, people will avoid the area” and thus not come shopping there, which will hurt the town’s economy.

“A journey [across the bridge] which should take five to 10 minutes is now taking 35 minutes,” Mr McCarthy said.

He acknowledged there was another bridge crossing the River Blackwater on the M8, but added locals would be penalised with a €2.30 toll each way if they used it to avoid the town centre.

In addition, he said since toll charges increased, it had resulted in more traffic coming into the town centre to avoid the payment.

“Businesspeople are asking what we're doing about finding a solution,” Mr McCarthy said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Willie O’Leary said it was 25 years since the last traffic survey was carried out in Fermoy and it was clear another one was needed, while fellow Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre O’Brien maintained gridlock in Fermoy town centre was now back at pre-motorway opening levels.

Mayor of County Cork, Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn said the most realistic thing to do first was carry out a traffic management plan, as the construction of another bridge would take many years.

He said it was a major mistake by Bord Pleanála to refuse the M8 connection with the N72.

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Niall Healy, the council’s director of roads, agreed traffic passing through the town had increased and said he would talk to TII about carrying out a traffic management plan.

Mr Healy said he would pitch a good case for funding that with TII as the town’s attractiveness for tourists and shoppers would increase with the arrival of new shops, such as Tesco, and the planned opening of a greenway which will run through it from Mallow to Dungarvan, Co Waterford.