Galway City Council’s first ever rain gardens are in full bloom and bringing a fresh splash of colour to the city.

As part of the recently completed Crescent/Sea Road Junction Upgrade, which was delivered by the Council’s Active Travel Department, two new rain gardens have been installed, along with a suite of safety improvements for all road users.

A rain garden is a novel type of landscaping that helps prevent flooding and enhance drainage by capturing and absorbing rainwater.

The two rain gardens at the junction of The Crescent and Sea Road have been installed in areas which were previously part of the roadway, which has now been narrowed.

New, wider footpaths have also been constructed in this space. By reducing the width of the roadway, both vehicular traffic speeds and crossing times for walkers and wheelers have been reduced, improving road safety and comfort.

This scheme also saw the construction of a new footpath along The Crescent, linking the 401 Bus Stop to the Medical Centre. Prior to this, there had been no footpath on this side of the road.

Two new pedestrian crossings have also been installed, and new safety enhancement works have been completed at nearby Scoil Fhursa as part of the Safe Routes to School Scheme. Works on the project took about five months and were completed in March of this year.

The project has been funded by the National Transport Authority’s Active Travel Programme.  John Madden and Sons Ltd. were appointed as principal contractors, and Clifton Scannell Emerson Associates (CSEA) served as consulting engineers.

Frank Clancy, Senior Executive Engineer with Galway City Council’s Active Travel Department explained the benefits of the new rain gardens:

“Rain gardens are a relatively simple nature-based sustainable drainage system.  They are designed to reduce the rate of rain runoff from roads and footpaths into underground drainage pipes.

“By using specially selected plants, the rain garden can soak up excess water, act as a pleasant visual amenity in an urban environment and improve biodiversity.”

“The Sea Road rain gardens are the first of their kind in Galway City and Galway City Council intends to replicate their use in other locations. The design will always be tailored to the specific location and existing underground drainage pipes.”

Mayor of the City of Galway, Cllr Mike Cubbard, welcomed the completion of the scheme and said he looked forward to supporting the further rollout of more projects of this nature over the coming years.

In addition to the Crescent/Sea Road Scheme, construction on another active travel project along Ballybane Road and Castlepark Road is ongoing. Construction will soon begin on the Bóthar Stiofáin Active Travel Scheme, and on a new pedestrian crossing which is to be constructed on University Road, adjacent to Galway Cathedral.  A planning application has also been submitted in respect of the Western Distributor Road Cycle Scheme.

Pictured: The rain gardens in full bloom at the junction of The Crescent and Sea Road.