'Horrendous' stretch of road in Kilkenny is 'impossible to ignore'
The proposal would cover the route from the Castlecomer Road ring road roundabout in Kilkenny City through Dunmore, Hennebry's Cross and Conahy before continuing to Ballyragget
A renewed call has been made for a major realignment of the national route between Kilkenny City and Ballyragget, with councillors describing the road as one of the county's most dangerous and calling for urgent action to improve safety.
At the latest plenary meeting of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr David Fitzgerald tabled a motion seeking the preparation of a comprehensive road realignment scheme in conjunction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
The proposal would cover the route from the Castlecomer Road ring road roundabout in Kilkenny City through Dunmore, Hennebry's Cross and Conahy before continuing to Ballyragget.
In his motion, Cllr Fitzgerald said the scheme was needed to address the “serious traffic and road safety issues” affecting what he described as an important and heavily trafficked national route.
Speaking during the debate, Cllr Fitzgerald said the condition of the road had become impossible to ignore.
He described the road as “the most dangerous stretch of road I've ever canvassed,” adding that it is affected by “serious traffic issues” which continue to cause concern for motorists and local communities alike.
The motion received cross-party backing, with Cllr John Coonan seconding the proposal and stressing that improvements could not be delayed.
“Safety measures need to be fast-tracked,” Cllr Coonan said, arguing that the level of traffic using the route, combined with its layout in places, made investment increasingly urgent.
The concerns were echoed by Cllr Seán Ó hArgáin, who highlighted the dangers facing vulnerable road users.
He described the route as “one of the most horrendous stretches of road to cycle on.”
The route currently serves as a key link between Kilkenny City and urban centres in north Kilkenny and carries significant volumes of commuter, commercial and agricultural traffic each day.
The motion calls on Kilkenny County Council to work alongside TII to develop a road realignment scheme aimed at improving safety, reducing congestion and addressing longstanding deficiencies along the route.
If progressed, such a scheme would require detailed design work, statutory approvals and funding from TII before construction could begin.
The campaign for improvements to this road corridor is not new and has been raised repeatedly at Kilkenny County Council over the past number of years.
In November 2020, Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick warned that people living along the Ballyragget Road were “taking their life in their hands” every time they used the route.