The Lough Atalia Road passes under a low 19th Century bridge. The bridge is comprised of cast iron arches and it is a protected structure.
It is proposed to lower the road under the bridge to provide additional clearance for high-sided vehicles to safely pass under the bridge. The realignment of the roadway will also provide dedicated pedestrian and cyclist facilities on each side of the carriageway.
Over the past number of years, Galway City Council has implemented a series of measures aimed at improving movement throughout the city, being mindful of the change in national policy where alternatives to the private car are being encouraged.
TOBIN was appointed by Galway City Council to prepare the Detailed Design of the scheme, which incorporates segregated pedestrian and cyclist facilities and to lower the road to increase the clearance under the bridge to ensure buses can safely and efficiently pass under the bridge.
Throughout the detailed design of the scheme, TOBIN aimed to incorporate natural, local and long-lasting materials where possible. Such materials include the use of natural limestone in the facing construction of the retaining walls.
The specification for the street lighting will ensure Light Emitting Diode lighting units are installed which consume less electricity than standard lights.
Where possible, existing landscaping elements are to be retained throughout the extents of the works; additional landscaping elements will be provided in order to mitigate the loss of existing landscape elements.
Where feasible, some of the existing underground utilities, including ESB and Eircom mains, will be lowered in deeper trenches excavated parallel to the existing so as to remove the need for diversions with new materials.
The existing surface water along the extents of the scheme is discharged directly into Lough Atalia SAC. The proposed drainage system will collect the surface water and attenuate it in an under road attenuation tank for controlled pumping away from the SAC before discharging via an existing oil/petrol interceptor.
The existing asbestos cement watermain will be removed along the extents of the scheme and replaced with a new HPPE pipe.
The clearance beneath the protected 19th Century bridge structure is not adequate and has been subject to considerable and repeated damage by high-sided vehicles. The proposed lowering of the road will ensure that high sided vehicles will be able to pass safely under the bridge and significantly reduce the risk of future bridge strikes.
