NOISE POLLUTION: Residents in Whitebridge Manor say they are tormented with the noise of vehicles near their homes. Pictured at the front were: Angela Cremins, Noreen Dineen and Denis Murphy with Anne Brosnan, Caroline Hurley, Mike Brosnan, Sean O'Sullivan, Joe Hurley, Gerry Dineen, Bridie O'Sullivan, George McSweeney and Maureen Breen. Photo: Michelle Crean

Locals say noise levels from nearby road are unbearable

By Michelle Crean

Fed up residents in one Killarney estate say that continuous noise levels 24 hours a day from passing trucks and cars are making their lives a misery.

Locals in Whitebridge Manor beside the N22 which is just outside their front doors, say the nearby road has become so busy day and night that it’s now hard to get a good night’s sleep.

They’re now calling on the Council to install a sound barrier and more importantly to resurface the road which they say is so worn down it’s making the sounds louder.

The issue was brought before the Council at a recent meeting in Killarney, as locals, who say they are at their wits end, contacted Cllr Maura Healy-Rae for help.

She asked the Council and the TII what progress has been made for a much needed sound barrier to ease residents daily torment and the provision of a crash barrier to ensure residents’ safety, saying that she had a previous notice of motion over a year ago.

Local man Denis Murphy, who has lived in the estate for the last 35 years, says the situation is now the worst it has ever been.

He explained to the Killarney Advertiser this week how he remembers the old road being a lot quieter and that the noise has worsened significantly in recent years - as the tar on the road has become so worn down from the constant vehicles.

“I’m fully convinced that if they resurface the road it’ll make an awful lot of difference,” Denis said.

“I’m here 35 years and when I moved here first it was the old road. I can’t recall it ever being tarred since. The stones up on the main road – that’s certainly making the noise worse especially as the traffic has got busier.”

He added that homeowners have taken measures themselves to lessen noise levels.

“All the houses facing the road have put in double glazing windows – we’ve had to put them in because of the noise. We’re fed up. The traffic is constant – it’s going all the time. If I wake up at 6am it’s busy. The passing tracks are massive and they’re all going early in the morning.”

In their reply, the Council said that Noise Assessments will be carried out this year at a number of locations, including along the N22 at Whitebridge.

‘On completion of this assessment, appropriate mitigation measures will be identified where warranted. The provision of safety barriers within the speed limit is not automatically warranted. A Risk Assessment will be carried out Q2 2019’.