Leitrim County Council reviews footpath proposal for R209

A footpath will not be installed on the R209 between the turn in to Lock 14 and Sheemore Road, Carrick-on-Shannon M.D. has heard.

Cllr Paddy Farrell proposed a motion for a footpath here along a 150 metre stretch of road.

“A lot of people walk this route from Leitrim Village and are having to walk on the main road

“The R209 is the main route to the north from Carrick-on-Shannon and the west. It’s a very dangerous piece of road and it’s not very long.

“I think a footpath should be pursued,” Cllr Farrell said.

“The road is treacherous. I understand there’s no funding but there has to be ways of doing it, someone could get very badly hurt,” commented Cllr Flynn.

A reply from the Roads department stated: "The District Office has no funding allocated to footpaths in this area. It is unlikely that the local authority will provide a footpath in such a rural area."

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“We have a walkway from Leitrim Village up to Sheemore, we have a crossing at the R209 and a footpath that links it to the walk route,” said Darragh O’Boyle, District engineer for Leitrim County Council.

“We have provided a walk route from Leitrim Village up to Sheemore through funding that we secured through the local community.

“We don’t build footpaths on regional roads in rural areas as it creates a hazard,” Mr O’Boyle explained.

Walkers are being advised to stick to the designated walk route.

“The walk way reduces the hazard, there’s lighting and driver feedback signs.

“We will be constructing a carpark up at the top towards Sheemore later this year, this would reduce the risk of people walking on the local road up to Sheemore,” Mr O’Boyle concluded.

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