The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
ONE of the main access roads to the Loop Head Peninsula has reopened following the severe storms that impacted the County Clare coastline during January and February.
Clare County Council has completed extensive works to rebuild and repair over 100m of the regional road and coastal wall along Kilbaha Bay. This work was completed in time for the St Patrick’s weekend.
The reopening of the road has been welcomed by Mayor of Clare Councillor Joe Arkins, who said: “The temporary reconstruction works were necessary to re-establish connectivity in Kilbaha and the wider Loop Head Peninsula, and are a timely boost for the upcoming tourist season. Recent weeks have already seen the launch of the Wild Atlantic Way with a number of discovery points along that route situated in the greater Loop Head area.”
Works undertaken by council staff include the positioning of over 3,000 tonnes of rock armour along the seafront, 1,200 square meters of surfacing works, and the pouring of over 200 cubic metres of concrete.
Siobhan Garvey, Marketing and Development Officer for West Clare stated: “There is no doubt that visitors planning a trip to Loop Head Lighthouse and the Bridges of Ross on the Loop Head Peninsula will appreciate the improved coastal protection works, car parking facilities and increased safety infrastructure that has now been put in place at these locations.”
“The improvement works completed today add to a number of tourism infrastructural projects that were completed at both these locations along with the West End in Kilkee late in 2013. The speed at which these works were completed and the continued investments made in the Loop Head area reflects the Council’s commitment to tourism and to continually building the tourism product in the rural parts of County Clare,” she added.
