A proposed new four-lane road through Sligo would have an adverse effect on the environment in terms of noise levels and "intrusion" on the streets it would cut through, a public inquiry into the construction of the N4 Inner Relief Route heard yesterday.
Mr Tom O'Malley, of McCarthy and Partners Civil Engineers, who designed the road for Sligo Corporation and Sligo County Council, made the admission but said that while there were these "environmental disbenefits" in the area concerned, the new road would relieve congestion in town centre streets and improve the overall traffic situation.
At the second day of the public inquiry, Mr O'Malley was responding to 46 objections lodged against the new road. Because of the format of the inquiry he was not cross-examined by counsel for the objectors on these responses. Cross-examination is expected to start today.
Mr O'Malley said that compulsory purchase orders had been issued for 14 residential properties along the route. Counsel for some of the objectors, Mr Damian Tansey, asked for a list of additional properties which had previously been acquired by the local authorities.
Mr O'Malley said it was accepted that property acquisition was "a very serious issue" but added that the people living in these properties would be re-housed and efforts would be made to ensure communities were not split.
One of the objectors claimed the inner relief route would "destroy an old part of town and an old community" and "fine streetscapes would be lost".
Mr O'Malley said that current, very heavy traffic levels from the N4 through Adelaide Street were already causing "severance" and stressed that the new road was not a motorway. There would be junctions and traffic lights along the route.
"Signal-controlled junctions will allow traffic, cyclists and pedestrians to turn on and off the road. This will have the effect of integrating the route into the town centre and thereby minimising severance," he said.
Mr O'Malley also denied that the construction of the road would limit the development of public transport.