Over 100 people attended a recent public meeting in Rooskey Community Centre, organised by the Rooskey Residents Association.
The meeting was held in response to opposition to plans to have a permanent, traffic light-controlled, one-way traffic system put in place across the bridge in the village. Amongst those attending were Oireachtas members and local county councillors.
Currently, a trial one-way system is in place at the landmark bridge, with traffic lights in operation as well as a path (protected by bollards) for pedestrians to cross.
During the recent meeting, it was emphasised by many speakers that this system was already causing chaos and long delays – during what is normally the area’s quietest time of the year.
Local business owners spoke about the loss of trade as a result of the changes, with one stating that there was at least a 20% drop in their business since the traffic light system was put in place.
In a press statement issued to the Roscommon People, Cllr Tom Crosby said that he had told the meeting that the current proposal would be “a disaster for the local and wider community, local business, and for the future economic growth for the area”.
Cllr Crosby said that he has constantly had this issue on the agenda of Roscommon County Council since being first elected as the local representative on Roscommon County Council (almost 35 years ago).
Cllr Crosby said that in 2009, at his behest, €1.4m in funding was secured for a joint venture between Roscommon and Leitrim County Council, with consultants being engaged to draw up comprehensive plans to strengthen and widen the bridge. According to Cllr Crosby, the plan cost the people of Roscommon €124,000 and was put on public display for a 12-week period, followed by a successful planning application. Cllr Crosby said the project was then put out to tender, and a commencement date was set.
However, Cllr Crosby told the meeting that just before the 2019 local elections, it was publicly announced that the funding had been withdrawn, a U-turn which he said had been made for “no apparent reason”.
Cllr Crosby is calling for a public campaign to be launched seeking that the authorities revert back to these plans and seeking commitments of funding for a “proper reconstruction and widening” of Rooskey bridge.
Public representatives from Leitrim and Roscommon in attendance at the meeting supported the idea of a cantilever bridge, in preference to the present proposal; this would involve a prefabricated pedestrian walkway being bolted onto the river side of the existing bridge.
However, Cllr Crosby said this too would be only a short-term solution, as it wouldn’t involve any essential reconstruction works or widening of the bridge for instances such as when two large vehicles meet. He stated that the cantilever project would cost over €2m, and said it would be a wasted opportunity for a proper bridge to be put in place, in line with the plans and planning permission already secured.
