The population of Claregalway is expected to explode over the next couple of years with some 350 new residential dwellings planned. But that has led to concerns that services in the village – such as the schools and medical facilities – may not be able to cater for the new development that are planned.

And that in turn has led a local Councillor to call for the provision of a bypass of the village as one way of coping with the additional traffic that these developments will generate.

Around 270 houses will be developed mainly on the Oranmore side of the village on zoned lands with a further 84 planned around the village centre.

Cllr David Collins said that the village had already experienced a 33% increase in population over the past five years and this is expected to further increase over the next two to three years.

“I am all for developing the village and making it an attractive place to live but we need the corresponding services such as an expansion to the local primary school and community facilities,” he said.

“There is no doubt about it, this is rapid growth and the local school is bursting at the seams. Even the local day care centre cannot take any further admissions.

“That is why we need additional services but the big issue will always remain the absence of a bypass for Claregalway which is already choked with traffic. It will get considerably worse,” said Cllr Collins.

It is understood that €500,000 has been provided by the Department of Transport to investigate possible bypass routes but this process is at a very early stage at the moment.

Because of the tailbacks coming into Claregalway at the moment, many motorists are not observing the pedestrian crossing in the centre of the village and there has been a number of ‘near misses’ as a result of this.

Concerned residents in the village held a meeting to voice their concerns over the matter and are asking the Gardai to monitor the situation.

The residents now fear that when these new housing developments are completed over the next few years, pedestrian safety will be exacerbated.

The pedestrian crossing in Claregalway is governed by sets of traffic lights on either side but the village has become a traffic nightmare in recent years.

Even with the provision of the M17/M18 motorway, there are still mile-long tailbacks in the village and particularly in the evenings.

Cllr Collins has organised a meeting with senior engineers from Galway County Council to establish the progress they are making with identifying potential bypass routes.

“I have no doubt that these houses will be built and the population of Claregalway is going to increase by around 700 residents.

“That is why we need a bypass and safer pedestrian crossings, particularly from the local school and primary care centre as well as the village centre,” added Cllr Collins.

Pictured: Cllr David Collins (FG).