Kildare County Council urged to remove 20 metres of wall at this location
The call was made by an Independent councillor
An Independent councillor has urged Kildare County Council (KCC) to remove 20 metres of wall located at a junction.
Cllr Tom McDonnell made the call at the latest Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District (MD) meeting, which took place on Wednesday, April 15 last.
He submitted a motion calling for 'improvements to the junction of Barrettstown Road, Newbridge and L7087 Road by removing 20 metres of wall and building up the road level on Barrettstown Road, as [sight] levels are currently too low'.
This motion was seconded by the Mayor of the MD, Fianna Fáil Cllr Noel Heavey.
In response to Cllr McDonnell's motion, KCC provided the following report: "A realignment of this junction to improve visibility for vehicles on all approaches to the junction would entail significant design and construction works at the embankment of an Irish Rail owned bridge."
KCC added: "The MD does not have the resources to undertake this project."
'CRUCIAL ROAD'
Speaking further on his motion, Cllr McDonnell described the location as 'a crucial road for Newbridge'.
"The walls around the bridges in Newbridge are a problem, and we need to take control over these walls," he added.
Cllr McDonnell also claimed that the MD 'keeps seeing the same problem' when it comes to walls on bridges.
Furthermore, he pointed out that he had previously submitted a related motion during the December 2025 MD meeting, in which he called for KCC to widen the approach roads for two bridges in Newbridge.
Cllr McDonnell concluded by telling KCC: "We need action."
Following his comments, a senior engineer for KCC who was also present at the meeting, Carthac De Brí, emphasised to Cllr McDonnell that the bridges in question were within the remit of Irish Rail, not KCC.
Independent Cllr Tom McDonnell. Photograph credit: kildarecoco.ie
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme