Millers Lane Upgrade

Works have now been completed on Millers Lane Upgrade, which provides a pedestrian and cycle link between Rahoon Road, Western Distributor Road and Kingston Road, connecting the various residential areas and amenities in the locality. The Millers Lane upgrade will:

• Provide off-road walking and cycling routes for residents, and for children travelling to school;
• Enhance permeability between Rahoon Road, Manor Drive and the surrounding areas; and
• Create diverse and functional open spaces for walking, cycling and play.

The design recognises the ecological sensitivity of the route and provides for biodiversity – both flora and fauna. Areas of the parks along Millers Lane have been planted with grass and wildflowers, and will be managed for the benefit of pollinators, bats, and other species. The needs of users of the route are thus balanced with the support of biodiversity.

The completed scheme includes lighting along the route, and pedestrian crossings at Gort na Bró and the Rahoon Road to improve connectivity. Millar’s Lane links into the wider Galway City Cycle Network, supporting active travel beyond the Knocknacarra/ Rahoon area, and supports access to the Galway bus network.

The planting along Millers Lane aims to actively promote and encourage the success of bio-diverse species within the site and integrate as part of the complex and far wider environmental systems.

The design of the landscaping takes inspiration from the countryside laneways of Connemara, using the existing stone walls on the lane, native wildflower and grass species provide a sense of rurality in an urban setting. Tree planting has been selected with native stock, mirroring those species that are often seen protected by the walls in the Connemara landscape.