NAAS: 18 April 2001: by Brian Byrne. An average of one ‘minor pile-up’ a day occurs on the Newbridge Road out of Naas, according to local UDC councillor Charlie Byrne (above), and he wants something done about road markings and alignments at Jigginstown ‘before there’s a major accident in the area’.
And his fellow councillors last night unanimously agreed that a full report should be made available by the town manager, Tommy Skehan, for the May monthly meeting of the council.
The problem occurs at junctions into Jigginstown Park and Arconagh, Cllr Byrne said when introducing a motion looking for road markings and a widening of the road at Jigginstown Park to facilitate a ‘waiting lane’ for traffic wishing to turn right into the estate against oncoming traffic from the Newbridge Road.
And he noted that there is room opposite the estate to provide a wider carriageway. A similar ‘waiting lane’ is needed for inbound traffic turning into Arconagh estate. During last night’s discussion, both chairman Pat O’Reilly and Cllr Evelyn Bracken (left) said traffic lights should be installed at this particular junction.
Cllr Willie Callaghan recalled that there are drawings in Kildare County Council’s Roads Department, prepared by former chief roads engineer Dick Burke, showing a roundabout planned for the Jigginstown junction, which is also earmarked as part of a proposed inner relief road around the town.
Cllr Timmy Conway agreed, but said that the proposed roundabout had been the subject of an objection some years ago by the owners of a number of ESB houses nearby, who didn’t want land taken for a roundabout.
Cllrs Seamie Moore (right) and Mary Glennon both said that it should be a condition of planning permissions for such estates that the developer would provide land to facilitate ‘slip lanes’ in and out of the estates. Cllr Moore also noted that there were no signs in the vicinity of the junctions warning of ‘dangerous exits’.
Town clerk Declan Kirrane said it was a Kildare County Council problem, and Cllr O’Reilly suggested that the authority should ‘come back and re-examine’ that particular stretch of road.
There was also some discussion on the possibility of having the 30mph speed limit moved further out the road. The 40mph limit was recently moved a considerable distance towards the M7 interchange.
©2001brianbyrne/knn