Re: Re: well what about the developments popping up in the shannonside ?

A little insight into Limerick City Councils spending plans for the year ahead!

Limerick Post 27th January 2007

Council on spending spree to improve image of city

by Marie Hobbins

Millions of euro will be spent in improvements over next 12 months, including 50,000 on repainting the railings on Shannon Bridge

REPLACING damaged footpaths in Limerick city will cost in the region of 500,000 this year, and carrying out repairs to local roads and footpaths is estimated at 560,000, while some 50,000 euro will go to apply thin surface overlays to existing paths.

These are just some of the figures given in Limerick City Council’s breakdown for works deemed priority status in its Roads programme 2007.

Stressing that submissions from local councillors were prioritised, the Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, states that many of the schemes included in their list “are multi annual rolling programmes, where works to reconstruct the existing roads and footpaths will be carried out over a number of years.”

Resurfacing of a section of the N20 is estimated at 50,000 euro; improvement and resurfacing on the Condell Road, 40,000 euro; route lighting, 40,000 euro; painting of the railings on Shannon Bridge, 50,000 euro:

The recommendations of city councillors for urgent road and footpath improvements were actively considered and in many cases, included in the Roads Programme for this year.

However, as the council points out, not every submission can be attended to, due to funding curtailment.

“An engineering assessment was carried out on each proposal to determine the projects that should be prioritised in terms of benefiting the public, eliminating traffic hazards and sustaining urban development,” the Transportation Department states.

Other main expenditure will centre on:

* Upgrading the footpaths on the Dock Road will cost an estimated 200,000 euro, with a similar amount for improvements to the Dublin Road O’Callaghan Strand is to have expenditure of 400,000 euro, and 200,000 euro will be spent on refurbishing O’Dwyer Bridge.

* New traffic lights at the Childers Road/Hyde Road junction will cost in the region of 50,000 euro, and the same amount will be invested in improving pedestrian crossing facilities at the Shannon Bridge roundabout, as well as some 25,000 euro for other minor safety improvements.

* Limerick City Council will spend 450,000 euro this year on traffic lights and road signage, as well as 100,000 euro to extend the cycle pathways at the Parkway Roundabout to join with new cycle paths coming in from the University of Limerick.

* In the city, road and footpath improvements will cost some 560,000 euro. This will facilitate works on Summerville Avenue (80,000 euro): Sarsfield Street (100,000 euro): Courtbrack Avenue (80,000 euro): Kileely (60,000 euro):Top of Bloodmill Road (30,000 euro): Lower Park road (60,000 euro): Mill Road (50,000 euro): St Patrick’s Road (50,000 euro): Ashbrook (50,000 euro).

* An allocation of 500,000 has been set aside for concrete footpath repairs throughout the city, to continue the work started last year.

* Some 50,000 euro will go on thin surface overlays to footpaths at Janemount Park, Kileely, Irish Estates, Corbally, Garryowen, Janesboro, Mayorstone and Kennedy Park.

* Gulley cleaning and replacement will cost in the region of 100,000; patching of roads, 80,000 euro, gully replacement in Moyross, 10,000 euro, and raising manhole covers citywide, 25,000 euro.

* The provision of bollards will cost 40,000 euro, and 25,000 euro is estimated for traffic calming measures in each of the four city wards.

* Improved security lights for the city’s north side will cost in the region of 150,000 euro (this comes from the Dormant Account). Public light renewals will cost 50,000 euro, and 670,000 euro is calculated for ESB public lights, maintenance and energy costs.

* For the ongoing pedestrianisation of Thomas Street, including Augustinian Lane, Little Catherine Street and Little William Street, an allocation of 2,600,000 has been estimated; there is two million euro for the remodelling of Upper Thomas Street, including Foxes Bow; 4.5million for the Corbally Link Road; 1.75million for Clancy Strand upgrade: 1.5million for O’Callaghan Strand riverside upgrade: one million for the construction of green routes, and 100,000 for the design of an access road for Moyross.

A number of studies will be carried out during this year. These include a feasibility study for the creation of an inner orbital route in the city centre that will facilitate the pedestrianisation or partial pedestrianisation of O’Connell Street. This study will be advanced to Part 8 in February: A study for the remodelling of William Street and a study on the Limerick City Public Realm strategy will be published later this year.

Director of services, Pat Dromey, says that while every effort will be made by the council to carry out all the works included in their Roads Programme, “some schemes may have to be dropped and others added, should more urgent or emergency works arise during the course of the year.”