New cycle route officially opens in Co Kildare

A high-quality cycle route has been officially opened in Co Kildare.

The Kilcullen Road Active Travel Scheme in Naas cost over €5m to complete and has been fully funded by the National Transport Authority.

The scheme forms part of plans to develop high-quality cycle routes within the Naas area, as outlined in the NTA’s Cycle Network Plan for the greater Dublin area (GDA).

The plan recognises Naas as a town which has a significant population centre within the GDA, with the potential to become an exemplar cycling town and develop a network that will facilitate a significant increase in cycling for all purposes.

This section of the cycle network is part of an overall plan to enhance sustainable transportation infrastructure across the county.

Approximately 900 metres of the Kilcullen Road was upgraded to improve the connectivity of the overall existing cycling and pedestrian network.

This facilitated a connection between Piper’s Hill cycle infrastructure in Naas and cycle facilities on the South Ring Road.

The upgrade works include improved cyclepaths, footpaths and crossings, traffic calming measures, a new surface water drainage system and public realm improvements alongside landscaping works.

Welcoming the scheme, Deputy Chief Executive of Kildare County Council Annette Aspell said it is a fantastic achievement to see purpose built active travel infrastructure connecting to the heart of a busy bustling town.

“We’re dedicated to our climate action targets as well as supporting the Government’s Climate Action Plan,” he said.

“Projects such as this are designed to provide the capacity for a significant increase in the number of walking and cycling routes, in support of those targets,” he added.

Ms Aspell said that Kildare County Council, in partnership with the National Transport Authority, “is planning to develop high quality active travel routes within the Naas area”.

She added that this scheme forms part of that network and improves “the connectivity of the existing cycle and pedestrian network”.

Speaking at the official opening of the scheme, Minister of State in the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications Jack Chambers said the new scheme will support the community in choosing to travel more sustainably in a safe and connected way.

“It is great to see such projects come to fruition, following the significant increase in active travel funding that my department has been in the position to provide in recent year,” he said.

“The Programme for Government committed to allocating around €360 million per annum to walking and cycling during the Government’s lifetime,” he added.

The scheme was designed in accordance with the requirements of the National Disability Authority’s guidance document “Building for Everyone 2013”, which ensures that vulnerable road users such as the elderly, children, and the mobility and visually impaired are afforded adequate provision to ensure ease of access within the road and street environment.

The scheme includes the installation of protected and segregated cycle tracks on both sides of the carriageway from Ballymore Road/Kilcullen Road junction to Fairgreen Street/Newbridge Road junction in conjunction with a raised footpath and cycle track across side accesses and the installation of a water drainage system.

The project also decreased junction radii to reduce the turning speeds of vehicles, reduced road width as part of traffic calming measures and upgraded the existing public lighting network, crossings and the provision of new toucan crossings.

Existing watermains were replaced as part of the plan alongside improvements to public realm and landscaping works.