Work has begun this week on an extra turning left lane from Parkmore West allowing traffic heading for the Tuam Road to bypass those queuing for the Briarhill side.
It is the latest project earmarked to reduce traffic delays of up to 90 minutes for the 6,000 beleaguered workers leaving the city’s industrial heartland.
The 330m lane from adjacent the Medtronic Building 2 leading up to the Parkmore Road Roundabout will be completed by the end of the Easter break.
Contractors can only implement traffic restrictions outside of peak shift change times.
The project, part of the Parkmore Access Improvements Programme, will involve road widening onto the frontage of Merit and Medtronic facilities to provide an additional traffic lane and footpath.
The lane was conceived following traffic surveys which found that during the 3pm/6pm peak commuter period 40% of the traffic trying to leave the industrial heartland of the city were heading left to the Tuam Road and were unnecessarily queuing with the 60% bound for the Briarhill Junction.
Senior engineer in Galway City Council Uinsinn Finn said he did not want to give an estimate for how much time the lane would save motorists but was confident it would help reduce delays.
It was part of a suite of measures being pursued by the Council. An application will be made to the National Roads Authority for funding to do further improvement works this year, including a signalised junction between the Tuam and Parkmore Roads.
This is to make the junction safer for pedestrians and cyclists and to thwart any motorists who want to avoid the right turn queue by going left and doing a u-turn.
Another signalised junction is planned for the back of the Briarhill Shopping Centre and the Doughiska Road. This is to give buses, including the 409 bus route, quicker access through the junction.
A third measure planned for this year includes relocating the bus stops into the heart of both Parkmore East and West business parks to further encourage commuters out of their cars.
The 409 will now have a frequency of every ten minutes, instead of twelve minutes, which will further improve bus journey times.
See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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