Residents to picket KCC meeting on Monday

18 October 2003: Angry residents of a Naas housing estate plan to picket Kildare County Councillors as they arrive for next Monday’s monthly meeting of the Council at St Mary’s on the Craddockstown Road in Naas.

Residents of Jigginstown Park/Green on the Newbridge Road (the entrance to the estate is pictured above with red car exiting) are urging Kildare County Councillors NOT to vote for a new road and bridge that will bring heavy traffic THROUGH their estate via this main entrance and on to the Caragh Road via a new bridge to be built over the canal at the end of the estate.

The issue is up for decision on Monday afternoon.

The road will cut through the estates along the light green patch of grass pictured above.

Above - the proposed new link road will run in front of the wall at the end of the picture and down to the canal. Jigginstown Green is the far side of the road. The car above is turning left to access the Newbridge Road.

Residents say the bridge and road will create chaos from a traffic management perspective as it will cause gridlock at the entrances to Jigginstown Green and Jigginstown Park and will cause an even bigger gridlock at the Newbridge Road junction.

Pictured above is the proposed route of the new link road through Jigginstown estates. The busy Newbridge Road (Limerick Rd) can be seen in the distance.

It is also claimed the new road and bridge are not necessary at all as another road is planned just a few hundred yards up the Newbridge road linking the Caragh Road and Newbridge Road - just beyond the new Aldi Distribution centre under construction. This new road will have a roundabout interchange which will be better for traffic management.

Pictured above is the proposed route with the canal in front of the background trees. Around the corner is a row of houses.

The residents also say the new road and bridge will cost over €1 million ‘and all for an unnecessary road’. Money, they say, which could be put to better use such as going towards the upgrading of Naas Swimming Pool, or to provide more playgrounds in the town.

Residents will attend Monday's Council meeting in the public gallery.