Opening of Kildare motorway deferred

THE PLANNED opening on Monday of a €300 million motorway from Kilcullen, Co Kildare, to the Carlow bypass has been deferred by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey.

The move follows representations to the Minister from Kildare South TD Seán Power about the timing of the event.

Mr Power told The Irish Times that while he had made “numerous” representations to the Minister and to the National Roads Authority (NRA) on behalf of retailers and a particular petrol station along the route of the current road, and would have serious concerns for the pre-Christmas trade of these businesses, he was “not suggesting for one minute that this is why the opening has been postponed”.

He said he had travelled the road recently, and was concerned it was not fully completed.

Concerns about a premature opening had been voiced by engineers associated with the project, and he had relayed these to Mr Dempsey in recent days.

However, the NRA, which signed off on the completion of the road this week, yesterday reiterated the road has been safely completed.

Initial dates discussed by Kildare County Council for the opening of the road were today or yesterday, before a date of Monday next was agreed by the NRA, Kildare County Council and the Minister.

However, following Mr Power’s representations to the Minister, Mr Dempsey requested a postponement of the opening until some time in January, to which the NRA acceded.

It is also understood representations were made by members of Kildare County Council.

A spokesman for Mr Dempsey said the road opening was postponed after representations by local TDs.

The 27km stretch of motorway will provide a bypass of Castledermot and a new national secondary road to Athy town via the junction at Mullamast in Co Kildare.

With a €300 million cost and a typical economic return of 8 per cent, a four-week delay will cost the State about €1.8 million.