North Kilkenny County Councillor, Mary Hilda Cavanagh, has called on the National Roads Authority to construct an exit that would facilitate Glanbia trucks exiting the M8 for the Ballyragget plant.
Cllr Cavanagh put forward a motion at the September meeting of Kilkenny County Council this week seeking agreement on her proposal for a meeting between the NRA and the Council about her request.
She also asked that along with a new motorway exit that there would be a special annual toll for commercial users negotiated.
In a statement to the Kilkenny Advertiser this week, Cllr Cavanagh said, “at present Glanbia trucks coming from the Cork direction are forced to exit the M8 motorway at Urlingford and travel along the N8 road as far as Durrow in order to reach the Glanbia factory in Ballyragget. This flies in the face of the motorway’s purpose which was to take such traffic off the N8 road. No account seems to have been taken of the needs of Glanbia, an important employer and a huge commercial entity in North Kilkenny.
“At a time when Irish businesses are struggling to be competitive, adding costs and inconvenience to one of North Kilkenny’s premier enterprises by forcing trucks to essentially drive parallel to the motorway for some distance because there is no appropriate exit is unacceptable. The Cullohill exit worked perfectly for such trucks before it was closed by the NRA and I am calling for the construction of an exit in the Cullohill area. There are bridges in place that could facilitate the construction of an exit and reduce the cost of constructing one.
Cllr Cavanagh add that the continuance of commercial traffic on this section of the N8 road is also causing an inconvenience to local communities and means that the new motorway is not really delivering in the way it was meant to for the community in Johnstown and the surrounding area.
“Moreover, at a time when businesses are struggling in an economic downturn, I believe the NRA should consider negotiating special agreements with businesses whose trucks pass through the toll many times each day.
“The toll is adding huge costs to companies and I believe that those who can guarantee the toll regular custom on a commercial scale should be entitled to negotiate a reduced annual rate.
“I am calling on my colleagues on Kilkenny County Council to join with me in seeking a meeting between the council and the NRA with a view to resolving the difficulties that have arisen for businesses such as Glanbia in North Kilkenny and all Companies using the M8.
