Council to mull over
Cathedral car park plan

All 40 car parking spaces at Longford town’s Cathedral car park could be in jeopardy under ongoing plans to redevelop a busy junction.

Consultants are to carry out an assessment of the car park as part of a new layout which will see the closure of the current Ballinalee road entrance.

At a recent Longford Municipal District meeting, councillors learned that NRA chiefs have asked design experts to “look at” facilitating buses when attempting to carry out reversing manoeuvres.

This, councillors was told was part of a new road layout which will see the car park being accessible from the Dublin road only.

Engineer Eamon Bennett said should consultant chiefs allow for the changes, question marks could subsequently surround the car park’s capacity levels going forward.

“They (consultants) are going to carry out an assessment for coaches and buses in the car park because the ongoing issue in that area is that buses in that area cannot reverse,” he said.

“If it is possible the likelihood is you will eliminate almost all of the car parking spaces in that car park.”

Under the plans and when complete, the new road junction will also be signalised with traffic lights, providing what many councillors believe is a safer crossing mechanism for pedestrians who currently rely on a zebra crossing.

Cathaoirleach, Cllr Seamus Butler said he hoped as many car parking spaces as possible could be saved.

“My idea is they (buses) can drive in off the Dublin road and go around to a section and then back out,” he said.

A full drawing of what design experts recommend, is expected to be made available at the Municipal District’s next meeting.