Kikennys Roads

road_high

Is anybody else sick and tired of the rubbish roads in KK??
What are our local politicians playing at.The main roads are unbelievably bad. The N9 could hardly be classed as an N road, thats the 'road' to waterford, if u could call it a road.More like a boreen. Where are our car taxes going in Kilkenny. Are we subsidising other regions roads while we end up with nothing. We have had 3 FF TDs in power in this govt. but theyve seem to have failed dismally to improve things.

Nightwish

I agree. Our local politicians are all talk and no action. Well with the exception of the wonderful John McGuinness who shot down the idea of cafe bars cos of his own interest in the pub trade.

On the subject of roads. There are a number of good wide stretches of road but are on the peripherals of the county and all are accident blackspots (Urlingford, Piltown/Fiddown, New Ross-Waterford).

Rockdolphin

I agree with the above comments. The roads in KK are probably the worst in the country. The boreen that is the N9 hasn't changed since the foundation of the state bar one or two stretches. About 15 years ago after a flight delay, Aer Lingus paid for a taxi from Dublin Airport to Waterford. It was a dark stormy night and me and my pal had been giving the driver directions and just past Ballyhale the driver refused to go any further until he got independant confirmation he was on the main road to Waterford. I can't blame him, he had never been on the road before and found it so unbelivable that it could be a main road was wondering if we were literally taking him for a ride. He was so scared of driving back on the road he contemplated staying overnight in Waterford, but in the end returned to Dublin via New Ross.

Stephen

100% agreement here too. The only decent road in the county is the road to Carlow. The rest of the place is all ridiculous acute bends, pot holes and speed bumps, things that make bits of your car.

Our man in Havana

What's the deal with the N10 from KK city to Ballyhale. It ain't even a good R road. And all those trucks. It frequently takes me 1 hour from the bridge in Waterford to the Springhill Court Hotel, That's only 30 miles! :mad:

Lump

Drive faster then 30 miles an hour


John

Our man in Havana

Not possible with the amount of trucks and locals that use the road. There are very few overtaking spots (I can count them on one hand!). No one seems to be in much of a hurry in South KK. Local gets in behind a truck and won't attempt to get by and this messes it up for everyone that would like to travel at speeds above 40mph.

road_high

Theyre probably so bloody scared of being caught overtaking against the oncoming traffic and running the risk of serious head on collisions!!
I dunno, it just goes to show what this govt thinks of Kilkenny...
I just wish they'd go build that new dual carriageway we hear (but never see) so much about.
It took em over 20years to make a start on the next part of the ring road!The road to Ballyragget/Portlaoise is just as bad with loads of trucks too.

Stephen

Yep. I always get stuck behind a truck from roadstone on that road every day. He goes between roadstone and some builders/quarry/whatever just outside Ballyragget several times every day... and never moves faster than 40mph
The only place its safe to overtake is just outside Ballyragget, but if you're not careful you'll find yourself hitting the 60kph zone there pretty damn fast.

Dear Mr Red Trailer, please speed the hell up.

Bards

you can blame your politicans.. economic sabotage for Waterford. Why was money pumped into the N10 road from Kilkenny to Dublin while the road south of Kilkenny to Waterford ignored.

You cannot blame the NRA... This body has taken over from County Councils who up to about 7 years ago funded all road development and decided where the money would go. At least the NRA is now doing something about it even though the politicans would love it stopped.

Just look at the recent article in the Irish Examiner to get a feel for what I mean.

just remeber to point his out to politicans when they come knocking on your door looking for votes. We are all in the South East together and need to start co-operating otherwise we will become the economic backwater of not only Ireland but Europe. We will be what the west was 50 years ago

=======================================================

Road gets green light despite report’s concerns

By Neans McSweeney, South-East Correspondent
A SECTION of new dual carriageway linking Waterford and Dublin has been given the green light, despite a report which clearly says permission for the route should be refused.

The An Bord Pleanála inspectors’ report questions whether traffic volumes on sections of the proposed €630 million route are sufficient to merit dual carriageway status.

The hard-hitting report also suggests the route would increase traffic through some areas, add to congestion in and around Kilkenny city and could push more cars onto regional roads.

But despite the concerns raised by inspector Daniel O’Connor, the board unanimously approved the road plan, albeit with a number of minor modifications.

His report to An Bord Pleanála says the new road would have little impact on reducing traffic flows on existing roads close to Kilkenny city.

The inspector said in his report that a significant section of the new road will have “exceptionally low traffic volumes for a dual carriageway” and would not be acceptable, would not be in accordance with proper planning and would have a significant adverse impact on the environment.

An Bord Pleanála secretary, Diarmuid Collins, said the inspectors’ recommendation is just that. He said the board typically follows the inspector’s decision in about 90% of cases but this was one of the exceptions.

Transport Minister Martin Cullen has shrugged off claims of political favouritism towards Waterford from the opposition.

A spokesperson for his department said: “This project was part of the plan ever before Minister Cullen arrived into office.”

Cllr Pat O’Neill (FG), a member of the Bennettsbridge Road Action Group in Kilkenny, said they have been vindicated by the inspector’s report.

“We are not against the new road but this is a complete waste of money. We will be left with a nine-kilometre stretch of motorway from Dunbell to Danesfort that no one will use,” he said.

Fine Gael TD Phil Hogan says the route bypasses Kilkenny in favour of Waterford.

“The last thing that Co Kilkenny needs is a new motorway that will operate as a bypass of the city and county of Kilkenny between Dublin and Waterford rather than an essential piece of infrastructure that will enhance our economic development into the future,” he said.

At the opening of the ring road in Waterford at the end of September, Mr Cullen promised the road to Dublin would be delivered on time and on budget.

Work also on the Waterford to Dublin motorway will begin next year and it will be complete by 2010, the Minister vowed.

“That is the sort of investment that Ireland needs and particularly the sort of investment that the south east needs,” he said on the day.

road_high

The only ones to blame for this mess are the current govt.In all fairness they are the ones who failed to sanction funding and delayed road improvements in KK and south east for years.
Its grossly unfair to blame FG, Labour politicians or whoever for this; they are only in opposition with NO power to get anything done..If FF were so concerned bout the s east why have they stalled continously for the last 10 years on projects in the region.

I really doubt it is 'economic sabotage' on Kilkennys part- more like economic suicide as we need port access and links with Waterford itself!The fact is that funding was NEVER forthcoming in the past to improve the road link and thats why it never got done.We haven't had a govt minister in decades- they seem tob all from the West/Cork/Dublin...

The south east has fallen way behind, particularly in the last 10 years under this govt. with the highest unemployment, lowest university attendance etc etc of anywhere in Ireland.

The N10 Dublin road is not a great road either; money has most certainly not been 'pumped' into it, its been the same really more or less since the late 70/80s when it was widened, with little done to it in recent years at least!!As far as i,m aware KK people have continously lobbied for the N9 to be upgraded and we've been waiting a hell of along time now for it to happen. Its a common topic of conversation amongst us KK folk to give out about the s***e road to Waterford hence my ranting on this website!

When the duall carriage way was announced 7 years ago now (and still not a KM built!) KK county council had already been planning for bypass of Thomastown and to realign a big stretch of crap road between Balyhale and Mullinavat.Obviously these plans were binned in the hope that the dual carriageway would then be built ASAP.Sadly that never happened when we were still left with the current woeful road!


Anyway decided to investigate this whole N9 thing for myself to see what the story is at present.
Here's the replies from KK county council when i emailed them i got as follows;

RE: N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford N9 Road Improvement Scheme
(1)
'Phase 1, which is essentially the Carlow bypass section and is 17k long
will start this month, phase 2 from Waterford to Knocktopher is out to
tender for the main contract and is expected to start in the Autumn
while phases 3 and 4 are expected to start in 2008 with a 2010
completion of construction. Phase 3 is from Kilcullen to
Prumplestown(just south of Castledermot) and phase 4 is from Knocktopher
to Powerstown(near the landfill south of Carlow)'

(2)
Due to the size of the route , for construction purposes, the route from
Kilcullen to Waterford is divided into 4 Phases;

I (Carlow by-pass) - Powerstown to Prumplestown, near Castledermot is
scheduled to commence in the next couple of months.

2 ; Waterford to Knocktopher is scheduled to commence in September
/October 2006.

3 Prumplestown to Kilcullen and 4 Knocktopher to Powerstown are
scheduled to commence in late 2007 or early 2008 at latest.

Waterford By-pass Road Scheme (involving new bridge) is also scheduled
to commence in the next couple of months. Entire route - all phases - is
scheduled to be completed by 2010. Phases 1 and 3 are being managed by
Kildare County Council; phases 2 and 4 are being managed by Kilkenny
County Council.

Please also refer to the National Roads Authority website wwww.nra.ie
as it contains maps/updates on all major National Roads projects.

Regards,

John Walsh for Joe Gannon, Project Co-ordinator, KCC'

So there it is from the horses mouth so to speak!So fingers crossed that it will actually happen this time after so long...

Bards

1.) Waterford City Bypass is due to commence Monday next 24th April

2.) Carlow Bypass is due to commence in May (approx two weeks later)

3.) Waterford - Knocktopher is due to commence before end of June (approx two weeks later again)

This is from Minister Cullen who spoke pubicly at the recent South East Vision 2020 conference in Waterford.


It takes along time to build anything in Ireland with all the objectors, archeology CPO's Etc. Fianna Fail at least got the ball rolling with planning fo the N9. When responsibility for the roads were in Kilkenny Co Co hands nothing was done, and they had the opportunity. How come some of the countries worst roads are in Kilkenny. The only thing you see when driving in Kilkenny is signs like this / \
I.E Road narrows. They're everywhere.

You the voters of Kilkenny are the only ones who can make things better by saying to the likes of Phil Hogan that you are fed up and stop making noises about abandoning the M9 which he is clearly trying to do.

Labour are at it too. Brendan Howlin was against Strategy SE. PD's with Mary Harvey and Senator Darvies wants the M9 stopped in favour of another road around Dublin.