24/08/2006 -

Interview with Tom Brennan, Senior Engineer, Sligo County Council

In an interview published in the current edition of ‘Business Sligo’, Sligo County Council’s Tom Brennan talks about the Pedestrianisation of O'Connell Street and other transportation projects in Sligo City and surrounding area. 

Download Tom Brennan Interview with Business Sligo - 121 kbs

or read the interview below.

Tom Brennan is a Senior engineer with Sligo County Council.  He graduated in Civil Engineering from University College Dublin in 1982.  He also completed post graduate studies in Trinity College Dublin in Highways and Environmental Engineering in the late 1980's.  He is a chartered Engineer and Registered Professional Engineer in the U.S.A.  Tom previously worked for the ESB, spent a period in the U.S.A. and also worked for Kildare and South Dublin County Councils, prior to commencing work with Sligo Local Authorities in 1995. 

Tom currently has specific responsibility for the promotion and delivery of transportation and related projects, in the Sligo City and Environs area, which are critical to the growth of Sligo City and surrounding areas as a gateway, as designated under the National Spatial Strategy. 

WHAT TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS DO YOU CONSIDER CRITICAL TO THE GROWTH OF SLIGO CITY AND THE SURROUNDING AREA?

Several transportation projects in Sligo City and County are critical to the growth of the Sligo region.  However the following are a number of schemes which need particular emphasis in the short-term, with respect to promotion and funding and are considered critical to the growth of Sligo as a city:

• Western Distributor Road
• Eastern Garavogue Bridge
• N15 Sligo to County Boundary - Phase 1 which includes widening of Hughes Bridge and construction of a dual carriageway road from the City to Shannon Eighter.
• Introduction to new traffic flow and management arrangements to Sligo City Centre including the making of O'Connell Street pedestrian only and the carrying out of environmental and aesthetic improvements in the City Centre. 

WHAT IS THE OVERALL STRATEGY FOR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN SLIGO?

The Traffic Management Strategy developed for Sligo included the completion of the Sligo Inner Relief Road which was opened in September last year.  This is to be followed by the construction of a Western Distributor Road to serve Western areas of Sligo City and an Eastern Garavogue Bridge crossing to improve access to eastern areas.  Phase 1 of the N15 Realignment Sligo to County Boundary will widen Hughes Bridge and provide a Dual Carriageway to Shannon Eighter, and will relieve traffic congestion on the Northern approaches to Sligo City.  One of the main purposes of this overall strategy is to relieve traffic congestion and introduce new traffic flow arrangements including pedestrian only streets and allow major environmental improvement works to take place.

WHAT STAGE ARE THESE PROJECTS AT?

As you know the Inner Relief Road opened in 2005.  A preferred route has been selected for the Western Distributor road from the Caltragh Interchange to the Strandhill Road and this project is expected to go through the planning process later in 2006 with construction commencing in 2007.  Consultants have been appointed for the design of the Eastern Garavogue Bridge and design work has commenced.  It is expected that construction could start in 3 years.  The design of Phase 1 - N15 Sligo to County Boundary from Hughes Bridge with a dual carriageway out of Sligo has commenced and it is expected that funding for construction of this project will be made available in the next few years.  The opening of the Sligo Inner Relief Road now allows for revised traffic flow arrangements and in particular the changing of O'Connell Street to pedestrian only.  It is intended to carry out some changes in summer 2006 and in particular the pedestrianisation of O'Connell Street.
 

O'CONNELL STREET IS DUE TO BE PEDESTRIANISED.  EXPLAIN WHAT THIS WILL INVOLVE?

In order to facilitate the making of O'Connell Street pedestrian only, some changes are being implemented to traffic flows around the City Centre.  These include making Old Market Street one-way South, no exit from JFK Parade onto Thomas Street and improvement of the junction at the 'Veritas Corner' with the introduction of a left turn slip lane from Temple Street to John Street.  These changes will facilitate traffic avoiding O'Connell Street and taking a more circulatory route around the City Centre core.  Once O'Connell Street is made pedestrian only, the traffic situation will be monitored on an ongoing basis and further changes will be made if necessary.
 

HOW WILL O'CONNELL STREET OPERATE WHEN PEDESTRIAN ONLY?

O'Connell Street and Tobergal Lane will become pedestrian only with access for deliveries proposed from 8.00am to 11.30am and deliveries from the street must take place during these times.  There will be no vehicular access onto this street outside these hours.  Access will be from the Northern Post Office end only with exit from the Southern end onto John Street.  It is expected that traffic flows in Grattan Street and Castle Street will be greatly reduced. 
 

WHAT WILL BE THE OVERALL IMPACT ON THE CITY CENTRE?

One overall aim of this Traffic Management Strategy is to eliminate through traffic passing along core commercial city centre streets and to encourage through traffic to use a circulatory route around the centre including Sligo Inner Relief Road.  Core city centre streets such as O'Connell Street, Castle Street, Grattan Street, John Street, Market Street and High Street can then be traffic calmed, made pedestrian priority or made pedestrian only.  Major ciyscape environmental improvement schemes can then take place on these streets.  This will greatly improve the attractiveness of these streets and the city centre in general to shoppers and tourists and greatly improve business.
 

O'CONNELL STREET ITSELF ONCE IT IS MADE PEDESTRIAN ONLY?

Immediately after pedestrianisation, it is planned to introduce new street furniture and box planters to improve the attractiveness of the street.  Plans are also being prepared for a major environmental improvement scheme for O'Connell Street similar to shop street in Galway or Grafton Street in Dublin.  Public consultation on proposals will take place later in 2006 with construction work is  expected to commence in 2007.