That was the comment of George Murphy, who like so many residents at last Monday’s public meeting in Blessington, is utterly frustrated with the future ‘non-plans’ of the N81. The deferment of the N81 upgrade has utterly perplexed local commuters and residents living along the Tallaght to Baltinglass commuter belt, a route which weaves in and out of the jurisdiction of three municipal authorities: South County Dublin, Kildare and West Wicklow.
Cllr Gerry O’Neill was informed by the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) that the long awaited upgrade of the N81, Tallaght to Hollywood was basically ‘on the long finger’ and that central funding was prioratised for roadworks/ dual carriageway elsewhere.
The above quote was typical of many speakers at the meeting and political representatives who felt Minister for Transport, Shane Ross TD has "totally abandoned" this side of his constituency: “Let him come down and make the daily drive….. in single lane file all the way to Tallaght!”
Exasperated by the delays to date, Cllr O’Neill along with Cllr Jimmy Ruttle and members of the N81 Action Group called last week’s meeting. With no rail services for the area, and reduced public bus transport services in recent years, the TII’s own traffic data reveal that 11, 146 cars make the drive from Blessington to Tallaght (6% HGVs) on a daily basis.
That’s over 11,000 vehicles which must travel in single lane traffic to/from the capital. Local politicians felt that number was under estimated.
Residents from further along the N81, from Hollywood, Donard, Dunlavin, Eadestown and Ballymore Eustace, along with Manor Kilbride, Brittas and Crooksling cited the daily commute was now ‘ridiculous’; a journey that once started at 7.30m, then 7am was now commencing at 6am – “and I still can’t be guaranteed to get to work in Dublin on time!” said one furious resident.
“I counted almost 60 cars passed me on the main road one morning before I managed to get out of a side road”.
The Lamb junction (Manor Kilbride turn) on the Blessington to Brittas stretch of road is one of the black spots, along with the Russborough to Hollywood stretch; the N81 records a higher rate of fatalities and head on collisions than the national average.
The N81 Action Committee (a working group formed from Blessington Forum), finds having to deal with three county councils is an impediment to progress.
“This makes progress on anything impossible at times!” said Cllr O’Neill “The failure to upgrade the N81 is impeding on development for families in the area, for farmers who’ve found their lands divided by the proposed route – they can’t access grant funding to develop their farming business/revenue and in some cases, their children are refused planning permission citing the lack of the N81 upgrade as a grounds for refusal!. They are in limbo land and placed in an intolerable position”
Cllr O’Neill also stated there could be planning permission sought for a further 1,000 houses in Blessington, applications which will probably go straight to An Bord Planala, and again he fears the poor road network will impact the Bord’s decision. “There is an urgent need for both private and social housing in the area, and both Kildare and Wicklow Councils need to work together and collaborate on this” he added.
Cllr Jimmy Ruttle voiced his frustration with the N81 ‘corridor’ not being prioratised for capital funding, and how this will seriously impact on future development. He claimed there were several dangerous beds along the route, particularly, the Crooksling to the Embankment Tallaght, and to have to continue with a single laneway from Tallaght all the way to Hollywood was ridiculous.
“We have to be assured that the necessary upgrading and maintenance of the N81 will be done, and not just chipping and tar. There is at least 5-6 dangerous bends along the route… we need more development in this area, more industry and more housing…but the poor state of the road is an inhibitor to future prospects!”
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(These roads may look like a quiet rural road but are part of the N81 Hollywood - Tallaght commute which facilitates over 11,000 cars daily, whic make the daily commute to and from the environs of Dublin in single lane traffic).
Both local councillors stated it was difficult to make progress on any projects as they were dealing with the NRA office in Naas, and also with Wicklow County Council.
The issue of road safety and the horrendous stats for fatalities along the N81 were quoted by Wicklow TDs Pat Casey (FF) and John Brady (SF) with Deputy Casey stating “Minister Shane Ross should be ashamed of himself, he is in office in Co Wicklow and should get this project back on track….”
Deputy John Brady said it was a disgrace and the “failure of successive governments to put the upgrade in place…. A preferred route was selected to allow for sustainable social and economic growth” but was now effectively “frozen”. He further called on Minister Ross to come down to Blessington and travel the daily commute and suggested that locals should travel to Dail Eireann and vent their anger before ‘fiscal space and budgets’ come down the line this Autumn.
“With the supply and confidence agreement likely coming to an end, and an election looming, now is the time to get a campaign going and put the pressure on!”
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Political Attendance
Cllrs John Snell, Oliver O'Brien, Joe Behan, Brendan Thornhill, Irene Winters rep Minister Harris office, Cllrs Fitzgerald, Pat Kennedy joined the local reps, Gerry O’Neill and Jimmy Ruttle, but it was stated by many that all 32 Wicklow County Councillors needed to get behind the campaign and progress the upgrade. Kildare Councillors sent apologies as they were attending the Naas meeting but Deputy James Lawless and Cllr Carmel Kelly arrived just as the meeting ended and spoke at length with Cllr O’Neill.
Cllr O’Neill stated the feasibility study began in 2008, incredibly 10 years ago but a decade later, he was shocked at the ‘flippant’ manner the NRA had informed him of the deferment. “In 2010, the preferred route was agreed, and here we are, 8 years later, with nothing!”
Several speakers alluded to the higher than average stats for head on collisions and fatalities, and ironically that 64% of motor accidents occurred in dry weather, and not as one would expect on wet roads. Many felt the limitation of single lane traffic let to motorists taking un-nessecary risks to overtake
The development of this area of West Wicklow was raised, with Russborough House, Russelstown Nature Reserve, the lakes and many scenic drives all within the locality, and plans to progress the Greenway for tourism all cited. Yet the upgrade for the N81 remained a stumbling block for future development for all communities using the N81.
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Speakers from Donard, Hollywood and Ballymore Eustace spoke of the excessive daily commute but it was Andy Hamilton who perhaps struck a chord with most
“When the new preferred route went on display, it cut my farm in half. But I knew people, and one of them a child, who died on the N81 so I felt I’d have to live with it…. I’ve a son who want to farm, to milk cows and he wants to build a house. I tried to sell my farm but couldn’t – no one wants to buy a farm with 300 years frozen down the middle of it….. I can’t sell and my son can’t planning permission to build. I will have to go to the High Court on the grounds of reasonable expectations”.
The consensus of the meeting was to form an action group combining residents and interested parties from all the communities affected by the lack of progress on the N81 upgrade as suggested by Michael Sargent, Chair of Blessington Forum. Anyone interested in joining the committee, contact Carmel Cashin at 085 118 0182.
In reply to KildareNow, the TII stated “The N81 Tallaght to Hollywood project was among a number of National Roads projects brought through the early planning stage a number of years ago.
“This facilitated the identification of a preferred route which could be included in the Development Plans of the County Councils concerned and allow for the opportunity to protect the route. Identification of a preferred route is a milestone in the major scheme development process.
The scheme was subsequently suspended due to funding restrictions and currently remains suspended”. The TII confirmed the N81 was “not one of the projects identified to be progressed to pre-appraisal in the National Development plan as unfortunately it was not possible to fund and deliver all the National Roads projects that are currently suspended within the period of the plan” but that the TII was “working with Wicklow County Council to improve sections of the route under our minor works programme” (€2,500,000 was provided to commence construction on the N81 Knockroe Bends).
Minister Ross's office was contacted but as yet, has not replied.
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