Local Fine Gael Cllr Shirley O’Hara has launched a petition for residents and businesses to make their views known to the leadership of Transport Infrastructure Ireland regarding the need to upgrade junction 4 on the N7 (Newcastle/Rathcoole junction on the Naas Road).
Cllr Shirley O’Hara said “One of the biggest issues raised when I speak to residents and businesses in Newcastle and Rathcoole is the chronic traffic congestion at rush hour. It harms businesses, causes stress for workers and is a safety hazard for residents. It is now over a quarter of a century since Junction 4 on the N7 was built. The County Development Plan includes in its Six Year Road Programme an indicative route for a future second Newcastle/Rathcoole exit on the Naas Road. However, the delivery of this is not solely within the remit of the council as to whether such a project can be assessed, designed and delivered”
Speaking about the role the local council and councillors play in respect of roads projects, Cllr O’Hara added “Often residents and businesses say, ‘why doesn’t the council just build a new exit?’ With a big road such as the N7 the situation is more complex. While the councillors have approved an indicative location for a new exit at Tootenhill and link road to both the Kilteel Road and Greenogue, the council does not have a final say on whether such a project goes ahead. This power lies with Transport Infrastructure Ireland”.
This year South Dublin County Council will draw up plans for a comprehensive transport study for Newcastle and Rathcoole that should demonstrate the need for the new exit on the N7. However, the national agency responsible for motorways and national roads Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is hostile to new exits being built on intercity routes like the N7”.
Cllr Shirley O’Hara continued “I am compiling a petition of local residents and businesses to submit to the Chief Executive and the board of Transport Infrastructure Ireland to document clearly the need for another N7 exit. This submission will be in support of the Council’s own request for funding for a transport study. I am hosting a meeting next week, Monday March 25th with representatives from local businesses and community to outline the campaign for the new road and the steps that need to be undertaken to progress the project.”
Cllr O’Hara concluded “The traffic gridlock in Newcastle and Rathcoole at rush hour can only be unlocked with a reconfiguration of the road network. We have had massive development locally, both residential and commercial, with enormous development levies and rates paid by developers and businesses towards local infrastructure, including the road network. “As a community we need to present a united front; businesses, residents, politicians and the local council, to Transport Infrastructure Ireland in demonstrating the urgent need and a clear demand for an extra exit for Newcastle and Rathcoole on the N7”.
Cllr Shirley O’Hara will be hosting a public meeting in Rathcoole Community Centre at 7.30pm on Monday March 25th.
