Councillors submit queries over different junctions in North Kildare
A number of Kildare county councillors raised queries and concerns over different junctions within the Clane-Maynooth Municipal District (MD).
The issue was initially brought up following a motion by Independent Cllr Pádraig McEvoy, at the latest MD meeting on Friday, May 5 last.
Cllr McEvoy motioned for Kildare County Council (KCC) to 're-mark the road junctions at Loughanure in Clane.'
KCC assured him that the MD office will arrange for the road markings to be renewed.
At a later point during the meeting, Fine Gael Cllr Brendan Wyse asked KCC 'to provide an update on work done with regard to Allenwood Cross, as part of the first phase of the ongoing Junction Improvement Programme.'
He also said that, in his view, 'five months to appoint a consultant (on this project) is too long; it’s really dragging on.'
In response, KCC said: "The Roads Projects Team is in the process of finalising a tender to appoint a consultant to look at the first five junctions in the Junction Improvement Programme (in total, ten have been flagged, an engineer present at the meeting added).
"Allenwood Cross is one of the junctions included in this first batch."
KCC added: "A kick off meeting will take place once the appointment is complete, and works will begin thereafter to develop a design for this junction."
Social Democrats Cllr Aidan Farrelly also asked KCC to 'engage with relevant stakeholders to remove poles affecting sight lines at Dag Welds Cross,' to which the council replied: "Dag Welds Cross is one of the junctions included in this first batch, and a kick-off meeting will take place once the appointment is complete, and works will begin thereafter to develop a design for this junction."
An engineer for KCC at the meeting further said that it while costing would need to be considered, he said that the council 'would have a better idea (of how to remedy the situation)' next month, which is when an update on all Roads Capital Projects will be provided at the June MD meeting.
In addition, Fine Gael Cllr Brendan Weld called for KCC to 'place further safety measures at Baltracey Cross due to the high number of accidents continuing to occur at this location.'
Cllr Weld added: "There are a number of people failing to stop at the junction," and called for more signage to be placed in the area.
His motion was supported by his party colleague Cllr Tim Durkan.
A KCC engineer told Cllr Weld that the solution may be 'to just offset the junction,' and said that the landowner was open to the prospect of installing more signage.