The re-opening of the Drogheda Institute of Further Education (DIFE) in September, after the summer break, brought with it an unprecedented increase in vehicular traffic movements along the Twenties Lane at the peak morning rush hours.
At the October monthly meeting of the Borough Council (on Monday October 4th. 2010), I tabled the the following Motion on behalf of the residents of the locality (Mayfield, Moneymore, St. Laurence’s Park/Drive).
NOTICE OF MOTION – Councillor F. Gallagher: In view of the huge and unprecedented increase in vehicular traffic movements along the Twenties Lane since the re-opening of DIFE, the elected members request that a road traffic study / survey is undertaken in the area immediately, and that a report is prepared for the members containing recommendations / proposals to reduce the unacceptable traffic congestion and delays that are now prevalent in the area.
REPLY: The traffic signalised junctions at R132 / C ross Lanes and The Twenties / Crosslanes / Windmill Road are currently under review and traffic movements are being monitored. It is our intention to revise traffic light sequencing to limit congestion by balancing traffic flows as far as possible at these junctions. When this study is completed a report will then be prepared for the members’ consideration. The long term plan as part of the ‘port access cross route’ (PANCR) is to realign and extend the Twenties Lane to link to the PANCR, within Louth County Council’s jurisdiction.
Although the traffic lights have been re-sequenced, as outlined in the reply (above), it is, however, highly unlikely that the proposed relief (PANCR) will be built in the forseeable future because of the savage budget cutbacks being implemented by the government as a result of the economic crisis. This is another stark example of local communities and ordinary working people having to pay for an economic and banking collapse that was caused by a clique of local and national bankers, auctioneers, land speculators and developers.
