8 October 2022
By Tony Forde
tony@TheCork.ie
A new Relief Road designed to provide a safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians has been officially opened in Carrigaline by the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey.
The €20m Relief Road extends from Ballea Road to Kilmoney Road, improving connectivity and access to Carrigaline Town Centre. The main line of the relief road is 750m running parallel with Carrigaline’ s Main Street. The scheme includes a double span bridge over the Owenabue River, a 1.5km dedicated cycle track, over 3kms of footpaths and finishes at Mill Road, a 700m urban road.
The new road is partially constructed on the former site of Carrigaline Pottery, which went on to inspire its name. Following a public competition, five names were shortlisted before Elected Members of Carrigaline Municipal District selected ‘Pottery Road’ or ‘Bóthar na Potaireachta’ as the new name for the Western Relief Road.
Speaking at the Official Opening, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins commented, “We are here today to mark a historic development for the town of Carrigaline, one which signals further growth and prosperity for the area. While we celebrate this progress, the town’s past has not been forgotten. Carrigaline was well known for its pottery for several decades. Indeed, Carrigaline Pottery was the main source of employment in the town for many years before closing in 1979. The opening today of Pottery Road brings with it a new era of growth, with safer, more sustainable travel choices for those who live and work in Carrigaline and the surrounding areas. I look forward to seeing the community enjoy all the benefits that this will bring.”
Further acknowledging the rich heritage of the area, the new bridge will be known as ‘Garrydhu Bridge’ and the road from Pottery Road to Ballea Road, adjacent to the Soccer Club will be called ‘Mill Road’.
An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, speaking at the official opening of the new €20m Carrigaline Western Relief Road – ‘Pottery Road’ in Carrigaline.
A new Relief Road designed to provide a safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians has been officially opened in Carrigaline by the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey.
The €20m Relief Road extends from Ballea Road to Kilmoney Road, improving connectivity and access to Carrigaline Town Centre. The main line of the relief road is 750m running parallel with Carrigaline’ s Main Street. The scheme includes a double span bridge over the Owenabue River, a 1.5km dedicated cycle track, over 3kms of footpaths and finishes at Mill
Road, a 700m urban road.
Pic Brian Lougheed
Carrigaline Western Relief Road – ‘Pottery Road’ Officially Opened.
A new Relief Road designed to provide a safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians has been officially opened in Carrigaline by the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey.
Also included are Michael McGrath TD; Simon Coveney TD, Padraig Barrett, Cork County Council; Jennifer O’Donnell, competition winner for naming of the new road and kids Aindriú Allan and Bonni Allan.
The €20m Relief Road extends from Ballea Road to Kilmoney Road, improving connectivity and access to Carrigaline Town Centre. The main line of the relief road is 750m running parallel with Carrigaline’ s Main Street. The scheme includes a double span bridge over the Owenabue River, a 1.5km dedicated cycle track, over 3kms of footpaths and finishes at Mill
Road, a 700m urban road.
Pic Brian Lougheed
From left: Padraig Barrett, Director of Service for Roads and Transportation, Cork County Council; Taoiseach Micheál Martin; Cllr. Danny Collins, Mayor of the County of Cork and Tim Lucey, Chief Executive, Cork County Council unveiled the plaque.
€20m Carrigaline Western Relief Road – ‘Pottery Road’ Officially Opened.
A new Relief Road designed to provide a safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians has been officially opened in Carrigaline by the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey.
The €20m Relief Road extends from Ballea Road to Kilmoney Road, improving connectivity and access to Carrigaline Town Centre. The main line of the relief road is 750m running parallel with Carrigaline’ s Main Street. The scheme includes a double span bridge over the Owenabue River, a 1.5km dedicated cycle track, over 3kms of footpaths and finishes at Mill
Road, a 700m urban road.
Pic Brian Lougheed
A new Relief Road designed to provide a safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians has been officially opened in Carrigaline by the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey.
The €20m Relief Road extends from Ballea Road to Kilmoney Road, improving connectivity and access to Carrigaline Town Centre. The main line of the relief road is 750m running parallel with Carrigaline’ s Main Street. The scheme includes a double span bridge over the Owenabue River, a 1.5km dedicated cycle track, over 3kms of footpaths and finishes at Mill
Road, a 700m urban road.
Pic Brian Lougheed
€20m Carrigaline Western Relief Road – ‘Pottery Road’ Officially Opened.
A new Relief Road designed to provide a safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians has been officially opened in Carrigaline by the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey.
The €20m Relief Road extends from Ballea Road to Kilmoney Road, improving connectivity and access to Carrigaline Town Centre. The main line of the relief road is 750m running parallel with Carrigaline’ s Main Street. The scheme includes a double span bridge over the Owenabue River, a 1.5km dedicated cycle track, over 3kms of footpaths and finishes at Mill
Road, a 700m urban road.
Pic Brian Lougheed
Officially opening the new road in Carrigaline, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said, “The Western Relief Road will greatly improve safety and accessibility for the community, bringing real positive change in the daily lives of those who live and work in Carrigaline. The development has laid the foundation for new homes and community facilities in the future. It will encourage economic growth, supporting further investment and employment to the region. I look forward to seeing Carrigaline go from strength to strength in the years ahead and wish all who travel on the road a safe journey.”
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey added, “Carrigaline Western Relief Road will significantly reduce traffic congestion on Main Street, as well as providing a safer environment for all road users. The overall scheme was designed to also enable future development of housing units through the provision of essential services such as wastewater pumping stations and a watermain along the extent of the scheme. Active travel measures were also carefully incorporated to provide alternative travel options for those living and working in the area. The Relief Road provides the infrastructure for the ongoing development of the county’s largest town and is one of a number of exciting projects planned for Carrigaline over the coming years.”
Alasdair Henderson, Executive Director, BAM Ireland commented, “Together with design consultants Atkins, Mott MacDonald, and Barry Transportation, we are delighted to have delivered this critical piece of infrastructure at Carrigaline for Cork County Council. It has been a great pleasure to collaboratively work with all stakeholders, especially the local community, on this project. These works will greatly enhance the quality of life for the people of Carrigaline by relieving traffic congestion, reducing noise and air pollution, attracting new development, and improving the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.”
Carrigaline Western Relief Road was funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) as part of Project Ireland 2040, the National Transport Authority and Cork County Council. The project began in April 2021 and was completed on schedule with main contractors BAM. The scheme was supported by Engineering Consultancies Atkins, JB Barry and Mott McDonald.
Richard Neuling, Technical Director at Atkins, said: “Carrigaline Western Relief Road is an exciting project for Atkins, which saw us act as both lead designer and Employer’s Representative for construction. The opening of the road will remove traffic from Main Street in Carrigaline, enabling enhancement of the public realm and the development of lands within the town centre to stimulate economic growth. The scheme includes significant active travel measures designed for cyclists and pedestrians, which will promote more sustainable transport modes in the town and lead to a reduction in carbon emissions.”
Fergal Breen, Senior Engineer at JB Barry said “JB Barry & Partners worked closely with Cork County Council, Irish Water and BAM in delivering this important infrastructure which will allow the zoned lands to the west of Carrigaline to be developed as envisaged. We commend Cork County Council and their designers on the high standards of the Carrigaline WRR road infrastructure and the benefits it will bring to the quality of life for the residents of Carrigaline.”
Raymond Sexton, Principal Engineer at Mott McDonald said “Mott MacDonald have been proud to be part of the Carrigaline Western Relief Road Project, acting as structural engineering consultants for the Owenabue Bridge. We would like to commend Cork County Council Regional and Local Roads Design Office for the successful delivery of the project and for the collaborative design and construction process they adopted. A special thanks to BAM Ireland for the quality of workmanship achieved on the Owenabue Bridge. At Mott MacDonald we strive to achieve positive social outcomes in all our work and the Carrigaline Western Relief Road is no exception; significantly improving access to and within Carrigaline, making it a better place to live and work.”