Traffic tsar says Galway revamp a ‘disaster’

Cormac Rabbitte, a leading engineer and transport specialist, this week criticised the design of the new traffic lights junction that replaced the Bodkin Roundabout (Headford Road).

He said that “no further roundabout replacement (should take place) until there is an evaluation of the existing” junctions that have been converted.

He also called for a complete redesign of the Briarhill junction, which was also controversially converted from a roundabout by the Council; and for improvements to the junction at Parkmore industrial estate.

Mr Rabbitte said elements of the conversion of Bodkin Roundabout (the most recent one to change over) was a “disaster” and could have been done better.

He said it could have been better designed from a ‘planning and cityscape’ point of view. He advised the Council to carry out a “redesign of Briarhill junction to ensure that it operates more effectively” and that “access to Parkmore business estate could be better managed”.

 “The Briarhill and Parkmore junctions in the city are not working effectively, and need a substantial makeover,” he said.

Meanwhile, he suggested a roundabout should replace a traffic lights junction at one of the busiest intersections west of the city where Taylor’s Hill meets Threadneedle Road.

“Put a pilot or trial roundabout into that junction to see how it would run; there’s a lot that you could do on that junction just with better road markings . . . it would be very simple to improve,” he said.

Cormac Rabbitte is a respected transport professional. His work includes the roll-out of the country’s motorways, the successful upgrade of the Red Cow interchange in Dublin, and conceiving of the Metro.

Mr Rabbitte was an expert guest speaker at public meeting on Tuesday about transport in the west organised by Engineers Ireland’s West regional branch.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.