Kilkenny’s controversial Central Access Scheme (CAS ) has been resurrected with a new bridge design for its river Nore crossing, but it appears unlikely to appease its strongest critics.
A new, low-impact bridge design has been developed by the local authorities for the scheme, which involves a new access road through the current Diageo brewery site, traversing the Nore and linking with the Mart site and the Castlecomer Road.
The height of the new bridge will be dropped considerably from the original design and it will now feature a separate pedestrian walkway on one side and a dedicated viewing platform taking in the city vista on the other.
The CAS has met strong opposition since its infancy, most notably from within the council from Green Party councillor Malcolm Noonan and from the Heritage Council and An Taisce.
The local authorities were forced to return to the drawing board following An Bord Pleanala’s report into the scheme, which addressed heritage and traffic mobility concerns.
Following an oral hearing in Kilkenny in December 2008, the An Bord Pleanala report found the design should make greater provision for public transport, cyclists and pedestrians, there should be stronger emphasis on mobility management, better integration between the new street and the existing network and a maximisation of integration between the city’s historic cathedral quarter and its commercial core.
County manager Joe Crockett told a special joint meeting of the borough and county councils this week that the local authorities had commissioned a specially formed architectural peer review panel, the first of its kind in the country, to address these issues.
The resultant design was described as an ‘in-river solution’ boasting hybrid materials in its features, including a cantilevered, timber-deck pedestrian walkway with a separate ramp and a viewing platform on the other side.
Mr Crockett described the CAS as essential to the city’s economic and infrastuctural development and said it would reduce traffic on the existing two bridges which were inadequate for current traffic levels.
Latest traffic studies suggest traffic would be reduced by 40 per cent on Green’s Bridge and 22 per cent on John’s Bridge.
Mr Crockett also said the CAS would compliment the current local area plan by improving inter-connectivity between key development sites sucs as the Diageo site and the Mart on the other side of the city.
“We are trying to progress Kilkenny under a number of different headings including economic development, culture, arts, parks, retail, architecture and urban design,” he said.
“This is just one strand of all our different policies. This is essential infrastructure for Kilkenny and has been identified as such for over 20 years.”
The local authorities have also agreed a memorandum of understanding with the fisheries board and the Department of the Environment on the aquatic and environmental impact of the current design and its construction.
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