*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
EFFORTS to install a pedestrian crossing at the Minister’s Cross in Bunratty are underway.
A feasibility study is to be completed by Clare County Council on the R471 at the Minister’s Cross on foot of a proposal by Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) before the Shannon Municipal District.
Executive engineer with the Shannon MD, John Strand confirmed that they will begin to liaise with the road design office in the Council following the motion raised by Cllr O’Gorman.
Speaking at a meeting of the Shannon MD, Cllr O’Gorman outlined, “It was brought to my attention by people living in Deerpark that go for a walk with their dog at Rossmanagher Rd that they must cross the road at the Minister’s Cross which has four or five roads coming together”.
He continued, “It is a great facility for people living in the area and we need to make it safer for people living in the area, it is a busy road but within the speed limit. Cllr Crowe previously looked for a footpath from Bunratty up, it is a continuation of what Cllr Crowe was looking for. It is a great amenity for people living there. In the middle of day maybe three people would use it but children use it in the morning going to school and people are walking at all hours in the evening”.
Backing the motion, Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) stated, “it is an extremely busy section of road, there are five roads coming into it, there are quite a lot of people who live in the houses and who access the shop, quite a lot of them use it for recreational walks, it would make huge difference to have pedestrian crossing, there is a danger that the pedestrian would get caught crossing the road”.
Also voicing support was Cllr John Crowe (FG) who felt it was “a very timely motion” focused on “an exceptionally busy area”.
