By Chris Ashmore
A LOCAL councillor has suggested that the time has come to look at the possibility of “taking out” the roundabout beside the ‘new’ Dunnes Stores at Letterkenny Retail Park as part of renewed efforts to alleviate the town’s traffic problems.
Cllr Tómas Seán Devine believes that the traffic lights at the ‘new’ Dunnes Stores and also at the Pearse RoadJustice Walsh Road junction (beside McGinley Motors) “are causing more traffic congestion than they are helping.”
Addressing the January meeting of Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District Council, he tabled a motion asking the local authority to “revisit” the traffic lights situation in Letterkenny.
“I firmly believe, as do others, that the lights at Dunnes Stories should be replaced with speed tables and pedestrian crossings. If we are serious about helping traffic move in Letterkenny these things need to be looked at,” he declared.
On the plus side, he welcomed a meeting between councillors and An Garda Síochana before Christmas in relation to the traffic.
Having spoken with traffic gardaí himself, he claimed that among the main problems are the back-log in traffic getting out of the ‘new’ Dunnes Stores car park area in the retail park, and also the back-log on the Pearse Road going back to the Rosemount junction and even as far as Mr Chippie due to the lights at the bottom of Justice Walsh Road.
He also claimed that before Christmas people had spent “over an hour” trying to get out of Dunnes car park where there are pedestrian crossings on all four exits off the roundabout.
“It was chockablock, nobody could get moving,” he stated.
And he added: “Maybe we should look at taking out the roundabout at new Dunnes. It is bad when the Main Street is the quickest way through. All I ask is we do look at things; if it means removing the roundabout, so be it.”
Seconding his motion, Cllr Michael McBride felt another road was needed so people did not have to go around the one-way system at the retail park.
Senior Roads and Transportation Engineer, David McIlwaine pointed out that the traffic lights at the Justice Walsh RoadPearse Road junction were for safety reasons, and to permit exit from Justice Walsh Road. Prior to their installation it was “near impossible” to get out at that junction.
He added that the lights here were also beneficial to the traffic travelling to and from the Main Street area, adjacent car parks and the Health Centre at Scally Place.
Mr McIlwaine also stated that “the current pedestrian crossings at the new Dunnes Stores roundabout provide linkage between the different sections of the car park. This location would not be suitable for zebra crossings due to the restricted sight lines for traffic off the roundabout and would cause a hazard for pedestrian crossing.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Devine also called on the council to have a look at the possible provision of a slip road at the Oatfield roundabout junction.
