No money for cycleway and footbridge

Kildare County Council has been asked for apply for funding to pay for a feasibility study for an active travel project in south Kildare. Cllr Mark Leigh says it should be done with a view to provide a footbridge/cycleway at Rathstewart, Athy.

However, KCC engineer Donal Hodgins said the number of similar schemes, which are being examined by KCC and funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA), has been streamlined in recent years.

This is being done “to better fit the annual allocation of around €10m a year.”

He also said the total cost of projects already in the pipeline comes to €130m. This means that the  programme for the next ten years consists of existing schemes being designed and constructed.

He added it's neither reasonable nor practical to add additional schemes - without more funding and resources coming to KCC from the Department of Transport.