Roadworks at Cloonakilla NS to begin when school term ends

Road safety improvement works on the R362 at Cloonakilla NS will begin when the school term ends, it was revealed at a recent meeting of the Athlone Municipal District.

Cathaoirleach Cllr John Naughten said the measures are “urgently required” in a motion at the Monksland meeting last week.

“It's something I as a chairperson and the other councillors have raised over the last number of years with the issue with the traffic.

“I think it's very positive news for the residents and for us as councillors that we're now going to be in a position to commence the works there at long last over the summer months and we'll see a pedestrian crossing, footpaths, roundabout put in there to significantly improve the safety issues there and that hopefully they'll be in place before they come back in September," he said. The speed limit will also be reduced to 50km per hour in the area.

"The council went and got funding from a number of different streams and we provided funding from our own road budget and we've a low cost safety measure and we've, I think some active travel funding being used there so I think the council have done a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure that this project is going to be delivered on over the summer. I think it's a key project for the Monksland, Bealnamulla area and improvement in safety in one of the biggest national schools in the county."

Area Engineer for Roscommon County Council, Seamus Lough, said: “These works are urgently required. The works at this junction are to commence as soon as the school is closed for the summer holidays given the amount of traffic that's there during the school period.

Cllr Tony Ward seconded the Cathaoirleach's motion and said that there had been a situation where there was no funding in place from 2009 up to now.

Cllr Keogh also supported the motion, saying: “I'm pleased to see it going ahead and pleased to see that the roundabout will go in place as well.”

He thanked the Cathaoirleach “for pursuing the issue vigorously during his tenure”.

Cllr Donal Kilduff added that he was delighted that the work is going to commence. “I'm particularly delighted with the response that it's going to commence as soon as the school is closed for the holidays and that's particularly important. I would hope that it would be concluded by the time the school reopens.

Cllr Emer Kelly said that she hoped that there wouldn't be any delays along the way and that the roadworks would be done quickly to ensure safety.

For many years, local councillors have been calling for a range of safety improvements on the busy R362 road outside the school.

A road safety scheme at the school was drawn up last year, which will involve the addition of a pedestrian crossing on the R362 and a new roundabout at the junction where the L2025 (Taughmaconnell Road) meets the R362.

A grant of €200,000 in National Transport Authority funding which was announced at the beginning of February for 'Active Travel Schemes' in Bealnamulla is to be put towards design work on a 5km stretch of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure between Cloonakilla NS and Coláiste Chiaráin in Summerhill.