The local authority will reform almost 3km of the area’s main artery between the Cappagh Road and the Deane Roundabout on the Bishop O’Donnell Road.
Bus lanes are not included in the local authority’s Part 8 planning application, despite the National Transport Authority (NTA ) plotting a 200-space Park & Ride terminus near the Cappagh Road junction with the R336 Coast Road. The City’s application does include two new bus stops, and upgrading existing stops.
The NTA said it will lodge a Park & Ride planning application in the coming weeks, once environmental and traffic impact reports are complete. It hopes its facility will be operational by 2027.
The city council’s initiative will include six new zebra crossings, and an upgrade for two existing crossing points along the Western Distributor Road. Segregated bike lanes will be constructed along both sides of the carriageway between Cappagh and Clybaun, with bollards added to existing bike tracks between the Clybaun Road roundabout and Deane roundabout.
A spokesman for Galway City Council’s active travel unit said it was using bollards for bike tracks so the insertion of future bus lanes can be “rapid build”.
“Between the Cappagh [Road] and the Clybaun Road Roundabout, the future re-designed BusConnects network does not include a frequency of bus service which warrants dedicated bus lanes. Accordingly, it is intended to proceed with a high standard of pedestrian, cycling and wheeling facilities along this section of the Western Distributor Road,” he said. Segregated cycle facilities are also planned for Ballymoneen, Clybaun Road, Bóthar Siofáin, An Logán and the Dean Roundabout, he added.
Clybaun-based city councillor, Níall McNelis, welcomed the outline proposals.
“Knocknacarra basically has the same population as Athlone or Castlebar, and it has this road running through it. We need to make it safe to use for school, and going to play, or going to shops or work,” he said.
Galway West TD John Connolly, based in nearby Rahoon, said no bus lane was a missed opportunity.
“If there is a disappointing aspect to this progress, it is that the opportunity of the forthcoming Part 8 planning application for the Western Distributor Rd - which I welcome - didn’t include... bus priority, particularly along that section of the road between the Deane Roundabout and Gort na Bró,” he said.
Galway City Council will host a public information event in the Clybaun Hotel on Tuesday, June 17, from midday to 7.30pm.
