Angry residents bring road plan to light

IRATE residents have hired a fleet of cherry pickers and illuminated them at night to show their community the impact a planned road and bridge will have on their village.

They feel that the road designers have “cherry picked” the route to avoid a nearby quarry and a compensation claim from its owners and the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.

But the project co-ordinator for Kilkenny County Council, Joe Gannon, said the route was selected after consultation and to avoid a landfill.

Potter, Nicholas Moss and his neighbours in the Kilkenny community of Bennettsbridge feel the route of a dual carriageway from Waterford to Kilcullen would destroy their scenic village and its old world appeal.

Residents who object to the route were further infuriated when they were excluded from a specially convened meeting of local authority members on Monday. While residents’ questions were tabled at the meeting with Mr Gannon and Arup Engineers, the consulting and design team, the residents were not allowed into the session to hear the answers.

Mr Gannon said the original route, published and the subject of public consultation in October 2001, was about 600 metres from the line now proposed at its most distant point and 300m from the recommended route published in March 2002.

“The changes were made following analysis of the issues raised during and after the public consultation were taken into account,” he said.

He said there was no plan for a “mile-long viaduct over Ballyreddin Weir” as alleged in correspondence from those opposed to the plan. And there is also no question of a house with planning permission for an extension being demolished.

“The proposed road is approximately 900m from the existing bridge at Bennettsbridge and more than 700m from the village. The assertion, therefore, that the road would “transform Bennettsbridge into a major depot for tar and bricks is patently untrue.”