After years of waiting the residents of some of the city’s most populated residential areas will finally witness the commencement of the proposed road improvement scheme at Golf Links Road, New Orchard and Lovers Lane.
Kilkenny County Council confirmed at last week’s Kilkenny electoral area meeting that works on the scheme, which will be completed in two phases, are set to start in May.
However, senior executive engineer for road design Frank Stafford stated that due to financial constraints the scheme would be constructed over two phases with the progression of phase two to be subject to the availability of funding. “Phase one will cover Golf Links Road and New Orchard Road including junction improvements at Lover’s Lane while in phase two works in Lovers Lane will be completed.”
Fianna Fáil Cllr John Coonan, who for the past number of years has been calling for urgent improvements to be made to the area, told the Kilkenny Advertiser that he was delighted that works on the scheme were finally going to commence.
“The roadworks when completed will be similar in standard to the works just completed on the Johnswell Road,” said Cllr Coonan.
Plans to improve the roads in the area have been on the table since a preliminary design of the scheme and the Part 8 statutory process were completed in 2000. However, it was decided in May 2007 that due to the long time lag since the original Part 8 process and the physical changes that occurred in the area since then, that the local authority was required to re-do the Part 8 statutory process.
While many residents will see the necessary works on roads near their estates being tackled, residents of one of the city’s oldest estates will have to wait longer for works to commence in their area.
Mr Stafford explained that in order to undertake improvement works at Newpark Drive, landtake was required from a number of front gardens adjoining the public road. “Despite enormous efforts by council officials to obtain agreement with all the effected landowners, over a prolonged period of time to date, no agreement has been forthcoming,” he concluded.
