Council to check if Patrick Street crossing needs work

A team from the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad is to check whether the pedestrian crossing in Patrick Street needs to be improved – but if an upgrade is required, funding will have to be sought.

That was the reply given at the September meeting to Cllr Ken Glynn, who requested that it be upgraded to a ramp-style crossing.

Cllr Glynn said that a number of residents in the Ennell Court and Hawthorn Crescent estates told him that if you are coming out of their estate you can feel the ground shaking from the traffic going past.

“I do think certainly this is something that we do need to look at in the interest of public safety, because you have a huge population there, because we've now added Ennell Park as well, and there's a further development going on, and there's a lot of people living in that area,” he said, pleading that the work be prioritised.

Support came from Cllr Andrew Duncan, who said the nearby junction is heavily utilised and at the same time, traffic moves fast on Patrick Street.

Director of services Deirdre Reilly said that if money can be found before the end of the year, the work can be done, but if not, it may have to wait to 2025.

Footpath parking

Measures are to be put in place to restrict footpath parking near the fast food outlet at the entrance to Ennell Court on Patrick Street, Cllr McCourt was assured at the same meeting.

Cllr McCourt had asked that a restriction be put in place. She said cars parked there are causing obstruction to residents who cannot see oncoming traffic from both sides of the road.

“The Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad will install bollards at this location to prevent illegal parking,” the written reply from the district staff stated.

Ballinderry ramp

Also at the same meeting, provision of a speed ramp at Ballinderry between the entrance to Hillside Drive and the Ballinderry/Lynn Road roundabout was requested by Cllr Andrew Duncan.

District engineer Pat Kavanagh said footpaths work was being done at that location at that time and he gave an undertaking to see if it would be feasible to install a speed ramp.