boyle local area plan 2012 - 2018 - Roscommon County Council
boyle local area plan 2012 - 2018 - Roscommon County Council
boyle local area plan 2012 - 2018 - Roscommon County Council
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PART II: DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY <strong>2012</strong>-<strong>2018</strong> & BEYOND Chapter 3: Infrastructure & Services<br />
PART II:<br />
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR<br />
<strong>2012</strong> – <strong>2018</strong> & BEYOND<br />
CHAPTER 3:<br />
INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES<br />
3.1 INTRODUCTION<br />
Infrastructural development and investment is a vital<br />
component in ensuring sustainable development. This<br />
country has experienced unprecedented growth and<br />
change over the past decade with the resultant<br />
pressure on infrastructure including; roads and<br />
transportation infrastructure; energy resources, water,<br />
waste-water collection and treatment, solid waste<br />
recovery, and communications infrastructure. (See<br />
Maps 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b & 5)<br />
3.2 ROADS & TRANSPORTATION<br />
3.2.1 Existing Context<br />
‣ Rail and Bus Services<br />
Boyle is situated approximately 44 kilometres from<br />
<strong>Roscommon</strong> Town, 16 kilometres from Carrick-on-<br />
Shannon and 40km from Sligo. The Plan Area is served<br />
by the Bus Eireann Expressway and Bus Eireann Local<br />
services, with routes serving, amongst others, Carrickon-Shannon,<br />
<strong>Roscommon</strong> Town, and Dublin. There are<br />
also a number of private operators running bus services<br />
in the <strong>area</strong>. Boyle is served by the Rural Transport<br />
Initiative, with links to the greater Boyle rural <strong>area</strong> as<br />
well as the Carrick-on-Shannon <strong>area</strong>. Within Boyle<br />
there is an attractive railway station which operates on<br />
the Dublin/Sligo line and is serviced 8 times a day.<br />
Taxi/Hackney Services also operate in the <strong>area</strong>. (See<br />
Maps 3a & 3b)<br />
‣ Access Roads<br />
Boyle town has easy access onto the N4 National<br />
Primary Route (Dublin to Sligo), with the N61<br />
providing the north east link to the N4. Boyle town<br />
center is on the N61 National Secondary route which<br />
links; Athlone, <strong>Roscommon</strong> and Boyle. The R294<br />
Regional Road is the other main arterial road through<br />
the centre of the town, linking the N4 from the East, to<br />
the West of the town and onto Ballina. The town is also<br />
served by the following regional roads; the R295 to<br />
Ballymote in the north-west and by the R361<br />
Boyle/Frenchpark Road to the south west. The L5043<br />
<strong>local</strong> road links the hinterlands to the west of Boyle<br />
town and commences at the junction with the Crescent<br />
on the N61, and the L5058 links the town to the Lough<br />
Key Forest & Amenity Park amenity <strong>area</strong> via an over<br />
bridge on the N4.<br />
The Indicative Preferred Corridor for the N61 Boyle<br />
Town Bypass is illustrated on Map 3. This proposed<br />
corridor should be reserved free of development for the<br />
N61 By-Pass for Boyle to connect with the R361<br />
(Frenchpark Road). This project involves the<br />
construction of a new bypass route for the N61;<br />
approximately 5kms in length and the construction and<br />
realignment of existing regional and <strong>local</strong> roads,<br />
approximately 3kms in length. Progression of this<br />
scheme is currently suspended due to budgetary<br />
constraints.<br />
The National Roads Authority’s (NRA) primary<br />
function, under the Roads Act 1993, is to secure the<br />
provision of a safe and efficient network of National<br />
roads throughout the country. For this purpose, it has<br />
overall responsibility for <strong>plan</strong>ning and supervision of<br />
construction and maintenance works on these roads.<br />
Maintenance and improvement works on the regional<br />
and <strong>local</strong> road network are funded annually by the<br />
Department of Transport and are administered by RCC.<br />
Other works, such as the provision and repair of<br />
footpaths, are funded from development contributions<br />
received by RCC and other sources. Details of Plans<br />
and Projects for roads infrastructure are discussed<br />
under the “Major Roads Infrastructure” section of this<br />
chapter.<br />
‣ Urban Streets<br />
A Traffic Management Plan for Boyle town was<br />
prepared to cater for the traffic capacity, the provision<br />
of car parking, and loading facilities for the businesses<br />
of the town. Traffic flow through the town has<br />
improved with the completion of the recommended<br />
measures, i.e. a partial one-way traffic system, speed<br />
restraints, pedestrian crossings, and the relocation of<br />
the Bus Stop. However, some congestion still occurs<br />
in the town centre along the major traffic routes due to<br />
the volume of traffic, non-compliance with the traffic<br />
management controls, on-street parking, and business<br />
delivery arrangements. RCC recognises the<br />
importance of resolving this situation by improving<br />
accessibility through, amongst others, the provision of<br />
adequate car-parking facilities and controls, and the<br />
regularisation of casual and street trading activities.<br />
The traffic flow through the town continues to be an<br />
issue that will be addressed with the proposed N61<br />
Boyle Town bypass. In addition, until such time as the<br />
N61 Boyle Town bypass is constructed a certain<br />
amount of congestion will still occur.<br />
As mentioned previously, the streets along the main<br />
traffic routes through Boyle are, for the most part,<br />
Boyle Local Area Plan <strong>2012</strong>-<strong>2018</strong> Page 23