Contract Signed for €2.5 million for Phase 3 of Bandon Traffic & Public Realm Enhancement Plan
Cork County Council has appointed Contractor Martin O’Callaghan Ltd. to carry out significant upgrade works on the Glasslyn road Bandon between the N71 roundabout at Kevin O’Leary’s and St Finbarr’s Place. The upgrade works represent Phase 3 of the implementation of Bandon “Transport Public Realm Enhancement Plan” (TPREP) which was granted Planning in 2021. Works are already underway on Phase 1 Ballymodan and works on North Main street were completed last month.
This contract valued at €2.5m will include the introduction of cycle lanes in both directions, upgraded footpaths, provision of universally accessible bus stops, carriageway resurfacing, landscaping and ancillary works.
Bandon TPREP includes a complete upgrade of all town centre streets with enhanced footpaths, public space and landscaping to make the town centre more user friendly for pedestrians and cyclists to allow for increased footfall and vibrancy in the town core. The plan also includes active travel connectivity from the edge of town residential areas to the town centre. Over the past number of years significant works have been carried out by Cork County Council with the aid of NTA funding to improve pedestrian connectivity on nearly all approaches to Bandon with new and enhanced footpaths and installation of upgraded pedestrian crossing points, including the safe route to schools programme.
This Glasslyn road project will provide greater active travel connectivity between the town centre and the fantastic community led playground that just opened on the eastern approach to the town. The project will also provide enhanced walking/cycling connectivity from the town centre to the recently upgraded N71 eastern approach to Bandon and onwards to the proposed upgraded Clare O’Leary Walkway.
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins welcomed the signing of this contract.
The vision for Bandon in the County Development Plan is to provide a new focus on the compact growth of the town through consolidation of the town centre and the continued expansion of Bandon’s residential and employment base in a manner that promotes sustainable travel modes and contributes to the town’s unique sense of place and special architectural character.
The recently completed N71 upgrade on the eastern approach to Bandon, Implementation of Bandon TPREP and the signing of this contract today is another step in the fulfilment of this vision.
Works will commence on Glasslyn road at the start of August and take 9 months to complete. The implementation of traffic management systems will be necessary to carry out the works, but two-way traffic will be maintained where possible to minimize disruption.
Caption: Front row, from left: Clodagh Henehan, Cork County Council Divisional Manager, West Cork; Tim Lucey, Chief Executive, Cork County Council; Cllr. Gillian Coughlan, deputising for the Mayor of the County of Cork; Chris O'Callaghan, Director, Martin O'Callaghan Ltd. and Kevin Morey, Cork County Engineer; back row, from left: Eoin O'Mahony, Aecom; Cllr. Sean O'Donovan; Cllr. Kevin Murphy; John Conroy, Senior Engineer, Cork County Council; Cllr. Marie O'Sullivan; Brian Dunne, Municipal District Office, Bandon/Kinsale; Cllr. Alan Coleman and John Duggan, Sen Engineer, Cork County Council at the contract signing for the Bandon Transportation Public Realm Enhancement Plan Phase 3 which took place at Cork County Council Headquarters.