Residents, politicians, and members of the business community in Deansgrange are up in arms over a €12.5 million roadworks project that has ground the south Dublin suburb to a halt for the second time in two years. A public meeting held at Bakers Corner saw representatives from Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and Clonmel Enterprises, the project contractor, facing a barrage of criticism as they attempted to present the construction schedule for the two-year initiative.
Public Outcry at the Meeting
William Winters, resident engineer in the council’s active travel section, opened the meeting by declaring that the project, known as Phase One of the Dún Laoghaire Central Active Travel Scheme, had passed through public consultation and council approval, making the construction phase the focal point of discussion. However, instead of an orderly presentation, Mr. Winters was met with a chorus of heckling from a disgruntled audience.
Attendees questioned various aspects of the scheme, from the closure of left-hand slipways at junctions to the cost of the entire project. Many expressed frustration over the lack of consideration for traffic flow, citing the inefficiency of traffic light sequencing at Bakers Corner, which allowed only three cars per direction to pass through the junction at a time. Concerns were also raised about the impact on surrounding suburbs, where congestion had reached critical levels, hindering residents from entering or exiting their housing estates with ease.
Speakers at the meeting highlighted issues such as poor signage, insufficient safety measures for children and the elderly, and the absence of night-time and weekend construction work, which could potentially expedite the completion of the project. The sentiment was one of collective discontent, with the community feeling overlooked and underserved by the very authorities meant to improve their quality of life.
Voices from the Community
Local businesses, including SuperValu and Nexus Accounting, expressed their dismay over the roadworks and their detrimental effects on daily operations. Rachel Twomey, general manager of SuperValu, emphasized the interconnectedness of south Dublin communities, where families rely on various locations for different activities, such as sports and leisure. She criticized the council for failing to grasp the intricate web of interactions that bind these communities together, lamenting the loss of sizable revenue due to the disruptions caused by the ongoing construction.
Declan Fitzgerald, representing Nexus Accounting, painted a similarly grim picture, recounting the struggles faced by businesses in the area. The closure of a flower shop due to disruptions caused by the roadworks served as a stark example of the economic toll exacted by the project. Moreover, Tom Kelly of Graft Coffee in the Deansgrange Business Park attested to the visible decline in foot traffic and sales, as customers opted to avoid the area altogether to evade the traffic snarls.
Local Fine Gael councillor Maurice Dockrell echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the dire consequences of prolonged roadworks and construction activities on both businesses and residents alike. The frustration and exasperation felt by the community were palpable, as the once-vibrant suburb of Deansgrange found itself beleaguered by a seemingly endless cycle of disruptions and delays.
Despite the reassurances from council representatives and the construction company, the prevailing mood at the meeting was one of disillusionment and indignation. As the project trudged along, leaving a trail of discontent in its wake, the community of Deansgrange braced itself for further upheaval, unsure of when—or if—normalcy would return to their streets.
