Labour Councillor in Clondalkin, Breeda Bonner, has welcomed the long- awaited footpath and bicycle path from Alpine Heights and Ashwood estates on to the Fonthill Road. South Dublin Co. Council hopes that the work on the project will begin in March 2019. The projected work includes two entrance gates for pedestrians and cyclists, one near Ashwood and adjacent to the traffic lights on the Fonthill Road at the entrance to Oakwood and Dunawley estates. The other entrance will be nearer to Alpine Heights and will open out close to the lower roundabout at the junction of the Fonthill and New Nangor Roads. Separately there will also be a new path from the Bawnogue Road to the Grand Canal path.
Cllr. Bonner said she is relieved that these pedestrian openings are finally going ahead. In the last 6 months alone she has tabled 4 motions at the County Council to get this work started and has been raising the issue for the past 6 years. Because she realised that there was some opposition to this plan, she consulted widely and came to the view that the great majority of people wanted this development to happen. It was at that point that she pushed hard for the pedestrian openings to be constructed.
These two new openings will be of great value to local residents in Bawnogue according to Cllr. Bonner. No longer will people have to scale the wall and railings. Getting access to Clonburris national school and the railway station will become much easier for everyone. Given that the railway services have greatly improved at rush hour times in that there are now trains going right into the City Centre at Connolly Station and beyond, these new pedestrian entrances will greatly assist people wanting to use the trains as well.
