Works recommenced this week on the long-running saga that is Roscam Active Travel Scheme – having ground to a halt in June following a dispute over changes to a major junction.

The Galway City Tribune understands that works carried out widen footpaths at the junction adjacent to Spar in Roscam will now be reversed, rewidening the road which had become a major bone of contention for critics of the scheme.

The nub of the issue centred on potential car traffic congestion for residents leaving around 800 homes in four estates, for which the junction serves as the sole exit point.

The works include for the introduction, as planned, of four-way traffic lights at the junction which local councillor, Alan Cheevers (FF), said had been met by a mixed reaction from residents.

“What they’re doing at the moment is restoring it to the width it was. It’s not an ideal scenario but it’s a short-term solution to get people out of those estates,” he said.

“They are also putting in the traffic lights. The issue at the moment is if you are coming out of Boireann Bheag, Ros Caoin or the other two estates up there in the morning, you can’t get out because of the volume of rat-running coming from the Coast Road,” said Cllr Cheevers.

Engineers working on the project had given him a commitment, he said, that the lights would prioritise motorists leaving the estates at peak times to the tune of “70 to 75 per cent of the time”.

“This would also disincentivise people coming from the Oranmore direction through Roscam and get them to go the dual carriageway instead, through the new Martin Junction.

“Some residents still believe this will cause other problems but at least now they will have priority in getting out,” continued Cllr Cheevers.

Local pharmacist Barra Nevin, whose business is located adjacent to the junction, said the new design was insufficient as it did not address a long-standing commitment from City Hall to residents to include for a designated left-turning lane at the junction.
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