M9 stretch to open after protest

MINISTER FOR Transport Noel Dempsey has reversed a decision to postpone the opening of a €300 million stretch of the M9 motorway in Co Kildare until early in the new year, following widespread criticism.

The 27km motorway linking Kilcullen, Co Kildare, to the Carlow bypass will now be open to traffic from about midday on Monday.

On Wednesday, Mr Dempsey had asked the National Roads Authority to defer the road opening because his department said the schedule was too close to Christmas.

However, a short statement from the Minister’s department yesterday afternoon said: “After consultation with all parties, the National Roads Authority can give the go-ahead to the opening of the M9 Kilcullen-Carlow Bypass on Monday 21 December 2009.”

The statement concluded: “The official opening of this road will take place some time in January 2010.”

The reversal of the Minister’s initial decision took place after strong protests from south Kildare commuters, the AA and regional politicians.

Fianna Fáil TD for south Kildare Seán Power insisted that he had not raised commercial concerns from retailers along the current N9 when he met Mr Dempsey to discuss the road in the past week.

As reported in The Irish Times yesterday, Mr Power said he was “not suggesting for one minute that this is why the opening has been postponed”.

Rather, Mr Power said the concern had related to safety considerations with the early opening of the road.

Local publican Tom Wall, who runs the Priory Bar and Restaurant at Kilgown on the N9, also denied attempting to influence the timing of the M9 motorway opening.

Mr Wall said plans for a motorway service area to be developed 3km north of his bar had been postponed by the National Roads Authority, but despite offering to build a slip road to his premises and that of a local petrol retailer, the authority had refused.

“We were unable to influence the National Roads Authority over a six-year campaign to build a slip road to the motorway,” Mr Wall said.

“We would be unlikely to be able to influence them to defer the opening for four weeks.”

After the decision was rescinded yesterday afternoon, Automobile Association spokesman Conor Faughnan complimented Mr Dempsey on “ a wise move” and said he was relieved the road would now open as planned.

A report from the National Roads Authority, Road Accident Facts Ireland 2001, shows that along the N9 corridor over the five years to 2001, 172 collisions occurred, of which 19 were fatal.

A second report from the authority identified the section of the N9 between Kilcullen and Carlow town as having a varying “accident rate of between half and twice the expected rate for a national road”.

The most recent road deaths were those of Michael Connors (49) and his son Gerry (21), Millview, Ballytore, Co Kildare, who were killed in a collision involving three cars, a mini-bus and a pick-up truck on March 12th.