Hundreds of metres of new cycle routes being planned for Tullamore

HUNDREDS of metres of new cycle routes are currently being planned for Tullamore. The routes will probably be constructed within the next 12 months and will significantly improve the cycling experience for everyone in the town. They will also act as safer routes for children cycling to school.

During the June monthly meeting of Offaly County Council, Paul McLoughlin, Director of Services, told the councillors that 180 metres of new cycleway will be created in the Collins Lane area of the town.

“This new cycle way will create a safe travel link with other parts of the town and will connect to the general Tullamore cycle network. There were no submissions received from members of the public to the proposal to build the new cycleway."

Cllr Seán O'Brien, Leas-Cathaoirleach, welcomed the news.

“This proposal to improve our travelling around Tullamore, to create safe cycling routes, funded under the Active Travel Scheme, is a very good thing. This 180 metre route will provide an excellent link between the housing estates in the Collins Lane area to other parts of the town and to other cycling routes. For a long time we have highlighted the need to provide safer routes for children cycling to school, and this Collins Lane route goes towards meeting that need. Our urban area is expanding in Tullamore therefore we need routes like this.”

Cllr O'Brien proposed the Council go ahead with the new route.

Cllr Neil Feighery seconded. “The Collins Lane area has been significantly developed in the last 20 years,” remarked Cllr Feighery. “This will be a great addition.”

Cllr Declan Harvey welcomed the new route as well. He drew everyone's attention to a proposed housing estate in the Arden Road area, near Collins Lane, which the developers are proposing to call Puttaughaun.

“It shouldn't be called Puttaughaun,” commented Cllr Harvey, “because we already have a Puttaughaun in the town, and we can't have two of them.

“There are also traffic issues in Collins Lane,” he added. “A number of residents have talked to me about them. Will this new route also address those traffic issues? For example we sometimes have bottleneck situations. The road going through the housing estates is causing concern for people in the area.”

Cllrs Frank Moran and Shane Murray agreed with Cllr Harvey. Cllr Moran said it will be “very confusing” to have two Puttaughauns.

Cllr Murray said he is looking forward to seeing the new school being built, just off Collins Lane. The new two-storey school, which will replace the existing Offaly School of Special Education at Kilcruttin, will incorporate 12 classrooms for pupils with special education needs and is to be built on a 2.3 acre greenfield site owned by the Department of Education at Norbury Woods Avenue. The site is adjacent to the existing Educate Together National School.