Scheme Overview
Galway City Council’s first-ever rain gardens are bringing a fresh splash of colour to the city. As part of the Crescent/Sea Road Junction Upgrade, which was delivered by the Council’s Active Travel Department, two new rain gardens have been installed, along with a suite of safety improvements for all road users.
A rain garden is a novel type of landscaping that helps prevent flooding and enhance drainage by capturing and absorbing rainwater. The two rain gardens at the junction of The Crescent and Sea Road have been installed in areas which were previously part of the roadway, which has now been narrowed. New, wider footpaths have also been constructed in this space. By reducing the width of the roadway, both vehicular traffic speeds and crossing times for walkers and wheelers have been reduced, improving road safety and comfort.
This scheme also saw the construction of a new footpath along The Crescent, linking the 401 Bus Stop to the Medical Centre. Prior to this, there had been no footpath on this side of the road. Two new pedestrian crossings have also been installed, and new safety enhancement works have been completed at nearby Scoil Fhursa as part of the Safe Routes to School Scheme. Works on the project took around five months and were completed in March of this year.
The project has been funded by the National Transport Authority’s Active Travel Programme. John Madden and Sons Ltd. were appointed as principal contractors, and Clifton Scannell Emerson Associates (CSEA) served as consulting engineers.
