Bus lane through Merlin Woods a non-runner says City Chief

Galway City Tribune – The Chief Executive of Galway City Council has strongly dismissed any rumours that a bus corridor will be built through Merlin Woods.

Brendan McGrath “loudly, categorically, definitely” told members at Monday’s meeting in GMIT that the plan did not involve building a new road.

Cllr Noel Larkin had raised the issue early in the meeting, reminding all that the City Development Plan had a provision for building this bus lane through the woodland and along Merlin Lane.

“There is a lot of confusion out there, people are getting their information from somewhere,” he said.

Cllr Mairead Farrell was another of those expressing concern.

“There needs to be clarity for people coming out of this meeting that we will take action – there is massive concern out there,” she said.

Senior engineer, Uinsinn Finn, said that while this may be an objective in the latest Development Plan, it is not something that staff are working towards.

“There is no reference to it in your annual service plan,” he told members, by way of assuring them further.

And, although it was still in the early stages, and the plans were being drawn up with input from the National Transport Authority and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, he said that the solution being looked at was to use the existing carriageway on the Old Dublin Road.
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