Kildare County Council urged to progress construction of pedestrian bridge for this town
The call was made by a TD for Kildare South
A TD has called on Kildare County Council (KCC) to progress the construction of a pedestrian bridge in Ballymore Eustace.
Sinn Féin TD for Kildare South, Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh, has asked KCC to progress a pedestrian and cyclist crossing over the River Liffey in Ballymore Eustace.
She said that Ballymore Bridge in the town serves as an "essential link" for residents living both north and south of the bridge.
As per Ms Ní Raghallaigh,: "There is no continuous footpath over the bridge and the existing narrow footpath is not fit for purpose.
"The bridge is unsafe for pedestrians and particularly people with buggies, wheelchair users and people with disabilities."
She continued: "Crossing the bridge is a daily part of life for residents, with essential amenities such as the Post Office, the pharmacy and Scoil Mhuire Primary School situated on the northern side and the recycling centre, graveyard, and sports facilities on the south.
"I understand the complex nature of developments such as this, where bridge heritage and architectural protections come into play, but this can not be used as an excuse to kick the can down the road and deny the residents of Ballymore Eustace a crucial piece of infrastructure that will have many local benefits.”
"The safety of pedestrians and cyclists needs to be the priority, but this development would also unlock the local active travel potential and make Ballymore Eustace a more user-friendly town for its residents."
She also claimed that "difficulties" concerning planning and zoning of land for much needed residential development in the area due to the bridge "have been well publicised" in the past.
The Kildare town rep concluded: "This adds an extra incentive to our Local Authority who are under huge pressure in terms of housing to get this project moving."
Sinn Féin TD for Kildare South, Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (File photograph)