Call to prioritise Ballingarry
Council to meet TII on key roads issues
Tipperary Co Council has been called on to add the north Tipp village of Ballingarry to its list of national road priorities for TII.
Representatives of the council's five muncipal districts will meet with Transport Infrastructure Ireland in the autumn to raise three priority issues in each district. Last year's priorities in Nenagh Municipal District were Carrigahorig, the N52 north of Borrisokane and the N52 Nenagh bypass.
It was agreed at last month's district meeting that Ballingarry should be added to the list. Cllr Joe Hannigan said the N65 at Carrigahorig is not as prone to flooding as before, due to changes made at Ardnacrusha. He believed that Ballingarry should be incorporated into TII's focus on the N52 north of Borrisokane, the only stretch of that national route that needs to be addressed.
Cllr Hannigan recalled raising the section with TII in 2019 when he met its representatives as cathaoirleach of the district. He said there is no point in having an annual meeting with the national roads authority unless the issues raised are addressed.
Cllr Michael O'Meara had also attended meetings with TII and he saw progress arising from them. He was also of the view that Ballingarry needs to be afforded priority as the only village on the entire length of the N52 that has not benefited from a modern traffic-calming scheme.
Having first suggested such a scheme for the village 20 years ago - when it “wasn't the most popular choice” - Cllr O'Meara insisted that Ballingarry should now be included on the TII's priority list for the district.
Cllr Ryan O'Meara said he has already called on TII to install right-turning lanes on the N52 either side of Ardcroney at Ashley Park and Congar. There is an issue with speeding at both locations and there is space to add traffic lanes, he said.
Cllr Louise Morgan Walsh mentioned another problem of speeding on the Finnoe Road in Borrisokane. Traffic-calming measures and a new road surface are required, she said.
Cllr John Carroll also wanted the R503 at Newport raised with TII at the upcoming meeting.
FOUR PRIORITIES
District Director Liam Brett hoped TII would accept a fourth priority going on the list. The authority has funded a lot of projects in the Lower Ormond area over the years, including the traffic-calming schemes in Ardcroney and Carrig, while another is coming up in Carrigahorig village. TII is aware of the situation in Ballingarry and the council would endeavour to maintain its positive relationship with the roads authority in this regard, Mr Brett said.
District Engineer Barry Murphy said TII has been hesitant about right-turning lanes on the N52. Lanes are not the preferred option and have in cases been taken out due to narrow road widths, Mr Murphy said, adding that the decision on what to do about the local stretch of the N52 rests with TII.