Bandon to get €2.5m road upgrades

A contractor has been appointed to carry out multi million euro road upgrade works in Bandon town.

Cork County Council has appointed Martin O’Callaghan Ltd to carry the €2.5m works on the Glasslyn Road in Bandon between the N71 roundabout at Kevin O’Leary’s and St Finbarr’s Place.

The upgrade works will include the introduction of cycle lanes in both directions, upgraded footpaths, provision of universally accessible bus stops, carriageway resurfacing, landscaping, and ancillary works.

The works represent Phase 3 of the implementation of the Bandon Transport Public Realm Enhancement Plan (TPREP) which was granted planning in 2021.

Bandon TPREP includes a complete upgrade of all town centre streets with enhanced footpaths, public space, and landscaping to make the town centre more user friendly for pedestrians and cyclists and to allow for increased footfall and vibrancy in the town core.

The plan also includes active travel connectivity from residential areas to the town centre.

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Danny Collins, welcomed the signing of this contract: “The vision for Bandon in the County Development Plan is to provide a new focus on the compact growth of the town through consolidation of the town centre and the continued expansion of Bandon’s residential and employment base in a manner that promotes sustainable travel modes and contributes to the town’s unique sense of place and special architectural character.

“The recently completed N71 upgrade on the eastern approach to Bandon, implementation of Bandon TPREP, and the signing of this contract today is another step in the fulfilment of this vision,” he added.

Works will commence on Glasslyn Road at the start of August and are expected to take 9 months to complete. The implementation of traffic management systems will be necessary to carry out the works, however, 2-way traffic will be maintained where possible to minimize disruption.