KILDARE: There is no quick solution to congestion on busy Naas route
Delays
There will be no quick fix to congestion on the Kilcullen Road in Naas - the site of considerable residential development and a schools campus, accommodating some 1500 students and pupils.
A Naas Municipal District meeting was told that a solution is awaited for five years now.
Cllr Evie Sammon, who is also a member of the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, said that a long term solution in the hands of the KWETB and property developer Ballymore, both of which won land which could lead to a second entrance accommodating both residents and school.
She said a medium term solution will embrace a traffic reconfiguration, the placing of direction arrows and yellow boxes as well alteration to how and where buses pull up.
This, she said, would not be in place before May 20234, though a contractor has been appointed.
Cllr Sammon, who’s also a member of the KWETB, said the long term solution is the opening of a second entrance at the St David’s National School site.
She said this entrance might be bus only, because buses cannot go through a roundabout there without causing congestion.
“It’s five years on now and we’re only talking about short term and medium term solutions,” She said, adding that KCC cannot resolve this because it doesn’t own any land.
Cllr Anne Breen claimed that some residents have to “allow half an hour to get out.”
Green Party councillor Bob Quinn pointed out that considerable money had been invested in creating bicycle lands and footpaths between the town and the campus area.
“There is an active travel scheme that could be used; there is no point in developing this if it is not used,” said Cllr Quinn.