There will be no traffic changes to the roundabout at Tesco roundabout at Ardkeen in 2016, Waterford City & County Council has confirmed.
Prior to last Christmas, there was widespread condemnation of a National Transport Authority (NTA)-commissioned pilot scheme of introducing single lane access at the roundabout. Though the pilot was intended to run for two weeks, it was abandoned by the Council after just days because of traffic delays in the area.
At the time, the Council told members of the public that they had to trial the scheme for the NTA in order to qualify for funding to create a cycle lane on that roadway.
At the January Metropolitan meeting, Cllr John Cummins (FG) recalled that all Councillors were opposed to narrowing the junction at the roundabout and noted that funding for the cycle lane had not come through.
“We had to stop the study because it wasn’t working but all of that was to get funding for a cycle lane and it’s not mentioned in the 2016 programme”, he commented. “Is this because we stopped the study?”
URBAN RENEWAL IS ‘COMPLEX’ SCHEME
It will be ‘some time’ before an outline schedule is available detailing specific works to be carried out under the new Waterford City Centre Urban Renewal Scheme.
Lar Power, Director of Services at the City & County Council’s Economic Development & Planning unit, told the January meeting of the Metropolitan District that the project is very extensive and putting it together “is complex and requires a cross departmental team”.
Amidst fears from one resident that their house in Hennessy’s Road was going to be knocked as part of the Scheme, Cllr Mary Roche (Ind) asked that all Councillors be given a copy of the outline schedule.
“It would be nice to start communicating with people, especially if it’s going to have an impact on their lives,” said Cllr Roche.
