Confusion adds to chaos for Tuam traffic

By SIOBHÃÂN HOLLIMAN CONFUSION is adding to Tuam's traffic chaos with the situation only expected to get worse and further frustrate motorists this week with the return of school run traffic at peak times. Unforeseen problems have meant that the first partial closure of Bishop Street has taken a lot longer than expected and the section between Curragh Park and Quinn's Shop won't be finished for another three and a half weeks. [private] Motorists are taking chances along the recently opened private access road from Bishop Street to O'Toole's carpark which is signposted as one-way only. However people desperate to avoid bottlenecks at other escape routes from the town such as Old Road and the junction at Demesne on the Milltown Road are travelling outbound on the access road with reports of near misses on the narrow route. The Bishop Street closure has forced most of the Dunmore Road inbound traffic on to the Bobby Burke Road and N17 towards the town centre but this route will also be hit from next week. Contractors will be crossing Bobby Burke Road with a water main next week while the section from the Ballygaddy Road traffic lights towards Blackacre will be down to one lane on Thursday and Friday for re-surfacing, which Coffey's say can't be done at night as temperatures are too cold. The next section of Bishop Street to be dug up is that fronting Tuam Cathedral, between Quinn's Shop and the Health Store, which will start in the next three weeks. It's understood that access will be maintained because of the width of the road. Work to December The next section of Bishop Street will be from Curragh Park to Egan's Garage with an estimated start date of September 23. However given that the road is built on rock, Coffey's have warned that work will continue until early December. Tuam Chamber of Commerce says the section of Bishop Street towards the Square won't be touched until the Inner Relief Road is completed. The target date for this is the end of November. Getting in and out of Tuam from the other side of town is equally difficult. Works on the Athenry Road are starting and will mean traffic is down to one lane for about eight weeks. There will also be one-lane traffic to Parkmore off the Dublin road. Commuters in particular are bracing themselves for the 24-hour works on the Galway Road between the Weir Road junction and Coca Cola, due to start on Friday, September 9 or 16. Traffic will be down to one lane to allow for resurfacing. But, motorists be warned, this is just to cover in the trenches and it will be cordoned off again at another date to resurface the entire road properly. Works at Gilmartin Road will finish this week with the gang moving towards Tirboy which will be reduced to one lane. Traffic lights are also in operation along the Weir Road. [/private]