Urgent safety works needed along ‘treacherous’ Tipperary walkway
Work is needed on what has been described as one of the “most treacherous” walkways in Tipperary to prevent serious injury to the children who use it.
That was the call made at the November meeting of the Nenagh Municipal District by Labour Party councillor Fiona Bonfield, who tabled a motion for the council to seek funding and arrange for a new section of footpath, and public lighting from the GAA club in Newport to Derryleigh Park.
The route links several sports facilities used daily by local children.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Bonfield said that section of the R503 road between Newport and Thurles is well-used by children at all times of day.
"It’s a busy junction, it’s a busy walkway, there’s loads of kids using it, the GAA is just below it, and we’ve raised it numerous times.
"I have gotten representations in from the parents, the kids walk to the soccer field, they’re walking on a regional road, they’re walking at morning, noon and night, the soccer facility up there has floodlights, so they’re walking up to the soccer facility at night time,” Cllr Bonfield said.
Supporting her call, council colleague Cllr John Carroll said the section of road is one of the most treacherous sections in the whole county.
"It’s one of the most treacherous pieces of roadway and walkway in the county, it’s very narrow and cars come right out, and it’s poorly aligned as well,” Cllr Carroll explained.
"The amount of young people that go up there, there’s a lot of improvements that have been done to the clubs within that area, but walking there in day or night with the volumes of traffic is just treacherous, there’s no other way of putting it.
"It’s priority with a capital P, that is one of the pivotal areas that we need funding for,” Cllr Carroll said.
In response to Cllr Bonfield’s motion, director of services Liam Brett said that the provision of a footpath along that stretch of road would be a complicated issue.
"The existing roadside boundaries are such that there is little scope for the widening required to facilitate the construction of a footpath without significant land purchase and service diversion.
"The footpath would require a physical separation from the road to comply with current Active Travel standards.
"There are no Departmental grants available to finance the proposed scheme,” Mr Brett added.