Plans for the upgrade of Galway City’s second oldest bridge over the Corrib will be progressed in 2016, it has been confirmed.
Director of Services, Joe O’Neill said that a number of options are being considered to improve Wolfe Tone Bridge, which links the Claddagh with the Spanish Arch.
In response to queries from Independent City Councillor Catherine Connolly, Mr O’Neill said it is hoped to have a report back on how best to proceed with the bridge revamp by the middle of 2016.
A decision on whether the bridge – one of the busiest in the city with vehicular and pedestrian traffic – would have to be closed will be taken once all the options are considered, he said.
A figure of €400,000 had previously been cited in relation to works on Wolfe Tone Bridge and Mr O’Neill agreed to revert to Cllr Connolly on what exactly that allocation was for.
City Councillors were told this week that work on Salmon Weir Bridge will also be looked at this coming year, and will be considered under the ‘Galway Integrated Traffic Management Programme’ (ITMP).
As part of the Council’s ‘sustainable travel’, this ITMP will be unveiled in March of 2016.
It has been confirmed that the number of traffic light junctions linked with the city’s Urban Traffic Control Centre will be expanded again in 2016.
Currently there are 28 out of 36 junctions linked to the control centre, and it was confirmed that six more will be connected in the coming 12 months.
Upgrade work on the city’s bus stop network, and cycle parking stations will continue into the New Year.
Meanwhile, Mr O’Neill told elected members that consultants ARUP were progressing the design of the N6 City Transport Project, known as the new city bypass.
The lead agent in the project, Galway County Council, will be in a position to report back a final route in the second quarter of next year, and members will be fully briefed then, he said.
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