Traffic lights, which had been installed at Blake’s Corner, have been removed.
The lights were installed on a trial basis, following protests locally, but Clare County Council says the trial proved to compound delays.
Locals are seeking a new short term measure, while plans to build an inner relief road and bridge in the town in the future progress in the years ahead.
Publican Joe McInerney of the ‘Lets Get Ennistymon Moving’ group has been telling me that he feels a solution must be found:
Statement from Clare County Council:
Clare County Council introduced a temporary traffic signals system on Tuesday August 15th. Up to Wednesday 23rd August when the system was removed, Clare County Council monitored the impact of the system on traffic flow in Ennistymon. Whilst improvements were evident in relation to the safe turning of large vehicles at Blakes Corner, the trial demonstrated that there is not a capacity to deal with large traffic flows through the junction using a Traffic Light system. This controlled trial resulted in traffic delay on both the Ennis and Lahinch entrances to the town along with traffic congestion on Main Street, Ennistymon.
Clare County Council is confident the proposed improvement scheme to address traffic congestion at Blakes Corner in Ennistymon will advance to the Planning stage by the end of 2017. The statement follows extensive consultation with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) on the optimum design for the scheme which proposes an inner relief road incorporating a new bridge across the Inagh River, 80m upstream of the existing bridge. Following consultation with An Bord Pleanala, Clare County Council also has been advised that the Part 8 planning process is the appropriate route through which to advance the project.
