'We need safety and security': Locals raise concerns over height of new Killaloe bypass

Residents in a Killaloe housing estate have voiced concerns over the new road being constructed near their homes as part of the Killaloe Bypass.

The Killaloe Bypass, Shannon Bridge Crossing and R494 Improvement Scheme is set to provide a western bypass of Killaloe, a new bridge crossing of the Shannon and an upgrade of the existing R494 from Ballina to the N7 at Birdhill.

The development is being hailed as a major achievement for east Clare, with the Killaloe bypass section of the road set to open by the end of this year.

However, residents in the Shantraud Woods Estate in Killaloe have raised concerns over the height of the bypass near the edge of their estate.

Residents are concerned over the height of the bypass road|PICTURE: Pamela de Swart

“We are very concerned about the safety of our children, as the road is much higher than it should be,” one resident, Pamela de Swart said.

At a meeting of Killaloe Municipal District, Councillor Tony O’Brien presented representatives from Clare County Council and project developers SISK with a petition signed by over 100 residents of Shantraud Woods.

Read More: Italian president touches down in Shannon Airport ahead of European Elections

The petition asks the developers to erect “a noise reducing wall and crash barrier along the boundary of our housing estate and the adjacent new road from the bridge”.

As well as safety concerns, the petition also cites residents' concerns over noise and light pollution from passing traffic on the road, as some houses are “already below the road level, and subject to strong lights from site machinery and vehicles”.

Also raised are concerns over property value, aesthetics, and that the lack of a boundary wall so close to a main road would leave residents “at high risk from opportunistic break-ins”.

After being presented with the petition at the Killaloe MD meeting, Padraig Cullen, CCC executive engineer said that the council and developers would take the concerns on board, and arrange a meeting with representatives of the Shantraud Woods residents with proposals for a solution.

This is welcome news for resident Pamela de Swart.

“We're happy that they're coming back to us to liaise with us, but it tells us nothing just yet,” she told Clare Live.