Councillor calls for traffic review in Mallow

Cllr. Gearóid Murphy has called for a review of the traffic situation in Mallow town centre, including modifications to the Thomas Davis Plaza to improve traffic flow.
At a recent meeting of the Kanturk-Mallow Municipal District, he said that the issue of traffic congestion in the town centre had been raised “perennially” by constituents since he became a councillor. According to Cllr. Murphy, one of the most consistent suggestions by local people as to how to improve traffic flow has been to modify the Plaza, such as by putting in a second, filter lane at the bottom of the Main Street.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr. Murphy praised the work which had already been done by local engineers and officials to improve the traffic situation, such as changes to the traffic light system made last year, and the boardwalk planned for the Mallow Bridge. “Ultim-ately, in a few years, the Northern Relief Road will hopefully provide a more comprehensive solution to traffic in the town,” he continued. “However, it must be acknowledged that traffic volume in Mallow has increased since the plaza was built, and as Mallow continues to grow and develop in the decades to come, local traffic will continue to rise, and this will not really be affected by the relief road. The boardwalk will also serve to improve traffic flow in the town centre after it is completed, but we also need to look at other measures, in order to make the town as accessible as possible.”
Cllr. Murphy’s motion, calling for a detailed report to be compiled on traffic, including a cost-benefit analysis of potential modifications to the plaza, passed with the support of his Municipal District colleagues. Council officials confirmed that the traffic situation will be reviewed after construction of the boardwalk.