Travelling around Drogheda is becoming more and more difficult all the time no matter what means of transport you use. Walking and cycling has become very dangerous and, for many people, neither is an option.
The “normal” traffic chaos on the streets of Drogheda has become a whole lot worse in recent weeks due to extra traffic being diverted through the town since the closure of the Obelisk Bridge.
Travelling by bus also has its problems and Independent Councillor Paddy McQuillan says the existing town bus service, especially the 173 route, has been allowed to deteriorate and badly needs to be addressed.
He has written to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on transport requesting an increase in frequency to the bus services in town and the installation of new bus shelters at bus stops.
McQuillan says that on the Friday before the Bank Holiday, the 173 to Moneymore did not run at 9am, 10am, 11am or 12am due to parts not being available to repair buses.
“On the Tuesday following the Bank Holiday there were 18 buses waiting for parts and this disrupted all services. This is unacceptable” he added.
“We are the largest town in the country, soon to be a city, and a reliable sustainable bus service is required. I will again contact the relevant authorities to find a solution to ensure more people are not left stranded especially as the winter months approach.”
With travelling by car or by public transport proving difficult in Drogheda it is good news that the Council is drawing up plans for Active Travel which Councillor McQuillan has broadly welcomed.
He says that the Council’s state-of-the-art SMART traffic light system will ensure greater traffic flow through the town and make it safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclist alike but there are a couple of areas of concern to him.
“The first one is the Bridge of Peace / Rathmullen Road junction. I have been campaigning to have this junction sorted for years and anything that will make it safer is welcomed by me, but I have reservations about the proposed new layout.
The proposal shows that when travelling north through the junction two lanes will merge into one just before crossing the bridge. With an average of almost 20,000 vehicles using the bridge daily this proposal will not work. It appears confusing and potentially dangerous and could well cause accidents.
“The second issue I have is with the junction of John Street and the Bull Ring, and in particular turning left on to St Marys Bridge. The proposal is to make the slip road on John Street access only to residents and business and the inclusion of a cycle lane with parking spaces for cars.
“I envisage serious traffic congestion problems for vehicles turning left on to St Mary’s Bridge. If the slip road is to be shut to public traffic then the left turn lane must be extended to allow more vehicles to turn left to cross the bridge.
“As it stands three cars or one truck can fill this left turn lane. Diverted traffic from the slip road will cause untold tailback trying to cross the bridge and a solution to this would be to extend the left turn lane back from the lights at the junction.
“These proposals for the Active Travel Project are exactly that, proposals. They are still open for discussion. I will continue to engage positively with engineers to reach a solution.”
