Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Colm Kelleher has officially opened the upgraded Curraheen Walk and Cycleway.

The Carrigrohane to Curraheen Walk and Cycleway Upgrade Project, fully funded by the National Transport Authority, was undertaken to improve the safety and comfort of the walkway, to encourage sustainable transport, and increase commuter usage along the 4.4km route, running alongside the course of the Twopot and Curraheen Rivers in Bishopstown. Works were carried out by contractor McGinty & O’Shea.

Some of the major features of the €900,000 upgrade works are:

• Installation of energy efficient LED public lighting along the full route with light levels varying during the night;
• Repair of damaged surfacing and overlay of much the surface between Model Farm Road and Carrigrohane Rd;
• Realignment and provision of paving and lighting on the link between the walkway and the IDA Park on Model Farm Road;
• Installation of cycle repair stations near entrances to IDA and MTU;
• New directional fingerposts with average walking and cycle time to destinations and timber posts with colour coded distance markers and behavioural signage;
• Installation of additional age friendly seating;
• Repair of existing and installation of new handrailing where necessary.
• Removal of the ‘kissing gate’ on the bridge towards the Carrigrohane end of the route, which had previously been an obstruction for cyclists.

Through community engagement, Cork City Council facilitated the establishment of the Bishopstown Otter Trail by the Cork Nature Network – this is a sequence of four information signs being installed between Murphy’s Farm and Rossbrook Estate on Model Farm Road. Cork Nature Network’s website has details of this and a similar route near the city centre also provided in association with Cork City Council. (https://corknaturenetwork.ie/otters-cork/).

Also, in conjunction with Bishopstown Tidy Towns and their consulting ecologist, some fallen trees creating obstructions to the flow of the Curraheen River were removed. Others were retained to maintain river crossing points for wildlife, maintain in-river habitats, help with flood attenuation, and protect against new riverbank erosion. 

The Lord Mayor praised the amenity, saying:

Not only does this walk and cycleway provide an important sustainable transport corridor for our city, it’s also of huge benefit to getting people out and about, an attractive location for people of all ages to get out for a leisurely stroll or a cycle in comfortable and beautiful surroundings.” 

Extending from the Curraheen Road at the southern end to the Carrigrohane Road at the northern end, joining Model Farm Road along the way, the route passes alongside amenities such as Murphy’s Farm, Bishopstown playground, Bishopstown Community Garden, Bishopstown Pitch and Putt Club and the Lee Fields.

The upgrading of the surface and provision of lighting along entire 4.4km route provides a pleasant off road active travel route particularly over the winter months for commuters attending college in MTU, working in the IDA Park or from residents to access  into  the city centre.

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