Final decision on one-way system in Kilkenny to be made in 2023

A final decision on the proposed reversal of the one-way system in Kilkenny city will not be made until Q1 of 2023 at the earliest, according to a presentation made to city councillors today on behalf of Kilkenny County Council.

The primary reason provided for this further delay is to allow for detailed traffic modelling to be done as traffic is now back to and possibly greater than pre-pandemic levels.

The Council's aim is to appoint a traffic consultant in the coming weeks to commence detailed traffic modelling studies and this process will take at least three months.

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The traffic modelling studies will make clear all of the potential consequences of the reversal of the one-way system put forward by the majority of city councillors in June of this year.

Since that decision to propose reversing the one-way in June, Kilkenny County Council have been conducting their own engineering research on some of the potential impacts.

They have however deemed that a comprehensive traffic modelling study is necessary before determining its final fate.

Cllr Eugene McGuinness, who objected to the newly-proposed one-way system in June, stated that the issue is once again being 'kicked down the road'.

"What we've ended up with is what we started with," he said. "My beard will tip my toes before this system is reversed, a system that has been foisted on the people of Kilkenny."

Cllr John Coonan stated that it's not a case of 'kicking the can down the road' and that the proposal to reverse the one-way was made as a potentially viable alternative to the current system.

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Mayor David Fitzgerald described the issue of the one-way system as 'multifaceted'.

"It's not a case of choosing 'a' and 'b' or 'black' or 'white'," he said.

The final fate of the one-way system including its proposed reversal remains at least a few more months away.