Renewed call for light rail after latest traffic chaos

A SECOND afternoon of traffic deadlock in the city over the past eight days has prompted another call for a serious look to be taken at a light rail system for Galway.

Traffic ground to a halt on several roads from the city centre between 4pm and 6pm on Wednesday with the worst affected arteries being College Road, Lough Atalia Road and the Moneenageisha Junction outwards to the Coolagh Roundabout.

This followed a similar occurrence of traffic gridlock on the afternoon/evening of Tuesday, August 20, last when traffic on College Road, Lough Atalia and Moneenageisha Junction got completely stalled.

According to Galway Gardaí, the main problem seemed to be the sheer volume of traffic in the urban area at this time, although a minor accident in the Doughiska area shortly after 4pm could have added to the delays.

Roadworks in the Prospect Hill/Bohermore area – associated with the laying of a new water mains – have also been partly blamed for the latest snarl-up as well as a large volume of ‘shopping and visitor traffic’.

Motorists trying to exit the city centre to the east, spent up to an hour before either reaching the ‘start of the motorway’ at the Coolagh Roundabout, the Tuam Road and the Headford Road.

Chartered Engineer, Murt Coleman, who has completed a detailed study and recommendation for the Gluas light rail group, said it was ‘highly obvious and clearly visible’ that the city’s road system was grossly inadequate to cater for the traffic volumes.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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