Planned roundabout not yet in place at Cloonakilla NS

Roadworks in the vicinity of Cloonakilla NS in Bealnamulla are continuing, leading to significant traffic delays at the start of the new school year.

Road safety improvements in the area had been sought for several years, and local councillor John Naughten said the works now taking place had resulted in the installation of the long-awaited pedestrian crossing at the school.

However work on a new roundabout nearby has not yet started, and Cllr Naughten said he hoped this would be starting either later this month or in early October.

The roadworks currently taking place have led to a reduction in parking availability near the school.

"These are improvement measures from a safety point of view. They will reduce parking but will hopefully improve safety at that location," said Cllr Naughten.

Another local councillor, and the current Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council, John Keogh, said he had initially hoped the works would be completed before the start of the school year, but this ultimately wasn't possible.

"What had been going on there before wasn't acceptable. There wasn't parking there, but people were parking at the side of the road and then going down and doing u-turns at the junction," said Cllr Keogh.

Both councillors said there may need be a need for land to be purchased in order to develop additional parking or other facilities at Cloonakilla NS, which moved into a new building in 2017.

Cllr Keogh said he had a motion at a council meeting this year calling on the Department of the Environment to acquire a site next to the school which, he said, could facilitate a new entrance to it at the Taughmaconnell Road.

He said that if such an entrance was in place, it could potentially lead to an entry and exit system whereby motorists could enter at the Bealnamulla side of the school and then exit onto the Taughmaconnell Road before looping back around via the new roundabout.

Cllr Keogh also said there was a need for a new playing pitch to be developed for the school.

He said he had spoken to the private landowner who owns the site next to the school, and that the landowner would be willing to enter into discussions with the Department on it.