Roscrea's Main Street surface neglected 'for too long'

ROSCREA'S Main Street has been left in a state of disrepair while other roadworks on the town's periphery are underway, elected representatives told the monthly meeting of the Municipal Council for the area on Monday.

Despite repeated pleas from the local business community to repair the raveled road surface, the street has fallen into serious disrepair and presents a trip hazard for pedestrians the meeting heard.

Councillor Michael Smith said the issue is now urgent and although welcoming the works to repair a heavily dilapidated section of the Limerick Road near the Nenagh roundabout in recent days, Main Street is the most pressing problem he said.

Councillor Shane Lee echoed those calls for immediate repairs on Main Street and highlighted sections of the N62 near the county border with Offaly as another serious problem.

He said sightlines on the N62 junction with Golden Grove are seriously affected by overgrowth and said the road surface, in an area which has already seen serious road traffic incidents, needs repairs on safety grounds.

Eamonn Lonergan, Director of Services, said the process of completing the Town First Masterplan for Roscrea caused some delays on the planned rejuvenation of Main Street, which includes resurfacing the road.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) completed a parking survey and suggested modifications and now that the Town First Masterplan process nears completion, the Main Street aspect of the project is a high priority, the meeting heard.

“It is an exciting time for Roscrea”, Mr. Lonergan said, adding he will ask the Town Regeneration Officer for Roscrea to attend an upcoming monthly meeting of the Municpal Council to proivde members with an in-depth update of how the project is progressing.

“The plan for Main Street is to make it a more pleasent and safer environment”, the Director of Services said.

“The Main Street project is in the pipleine now and will soon be a reality. The Masterplan project has been underway for two years and of the 26 towns around the country picked for the new Town First scheme Roscrea was the first to be completed - which says a lot for Roscrea and the future”, Mr. Lonergan said.