Galway City West and Knocknacarra Councillor Donal Lyons has welcomed this week’s announcement that Galway City Council intends to carry out road works at the Seamus Quirke Road/Rahoon Road Junction.
In order to address the issues pertaining to the existing junction arrangement, Galway City Council proposes to:
— Provide a kerb build out to the junction radii with Bishop O’Donnell / Seamus Quirke Road and the Rahoon Road to the Northwest to facilitate the installation of a new primary signal head.
— Provide new road markings, including a new stop line.
— Install a secondary signal head in the existing concrete island at the junction.
Cllr Lyons said that this is an issue which he has been highlighting since the upgrade of the Seamus Quirke Road was completed.
“At peak times traffic travelling eastbound remains queued between the two yellow boxes in the centre of the junction. There is no relevant traffic signal to indicate to motorists that they can proceed.
“This leads to eastbound traffic inadvertently proceeding eastbound through the pedestrian crossing which is green for pedestrians,” he said.
This proposed arrangement, in conjunction with alterations to the signal phasing, staging and timings will address the issues currently being experienced at the junction.
A Stage 1 Road Safety Audit has been carried out on the proposal by an independent consultant and issues raised have been addressed. Galway City Council is currently in the process of engaging a Civil Contractor to carry out civil works at the junction.
Galway City Council’s Traffic Signal Contractors, Elmore group, will be carrying out the traffic signal installation and changes to the configuration of the signals. It is anticipated that works to the junction will be completed by Christmas.
“I have no doubt that what is now proposed will make the junction safer for pedestrians and will facilitate motorists who previously had been caught in “no mans land” as there was no traffic signal ahead to indicate that they could continue eastward,” he said.
