Killarney councillors have approved road safety improvements on part of the Ring of Kerry between Killarney and Killorglin.
The scheme is to provide traffic calming and improved pedestrian facilities in Fossa between the Golden Nugget and Gap Cross junctions.
It includes a two-way shared cycle and pedestrian facility, a pedestrian crossing, and extra public lights.
A total of 28 observations were made by the members of the public on the project.
Councillors engaged in a lengthy discussion on the safety of the junction at Gap Cross and the addition of a push-button pedestrian crossing outside of Fossa National School.
Elected members expressed concern for larger vehicles turning off at Gap Cross coming from Killorglin and Fossa village.
Killarney Municipal District engineer John Ahern said if large vehicles can't turn at the junction, they have no buisness driving them; councillors disagreed with his comment and said it was unwarranted.
A suggestion was made by the Mayor of Killarney, Fianna Fail Councillor Niall Kelleher for the addition of a continuous white line on a part of the road, in which council officials said it was not a legal amendment.
The Mayor called on the council to seek clarity with Transport Infrastructure Ireland however, this would mean deferring the vote.
Council management said the current design is well developed and delaying the vote could risk the progress of the project.
Independent councillor Brendan Cronin argued that people have been waiting on these measures for years and nobody will clap them on the back for deferring it.
Councillors voted unanimously for the 1.5km development with amendments to change the zebra crossing to a push-button signalised pedestrian crossing and alterations to the footpath.
