McDonald’s drive-thru causing traffic jams in Kildare town
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A SITE visit to McDonald’s drive-thru in Newbridge will be arranged by Kildare County Council’s traffic management section to assess traffic concerns on the approach road that has been experiencing queues of vehicles spilling onto the major route into the town.
Cllr Tom McDonnell tabled the motion at a meeting of the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District asking the council to examine congestion issues at the fast-food outlet’s entrance.
A report presented to councillors warned that vehicles entering the site can at times queue back onto the R445, blocking a lane used by traffic travelling towards Newbridge Town Centre.
Officials said the problem is linked to how traffic is managed within the site itself, particularly around the operation of the drive-through facility.
“The issue relates to the management of traffic within the site and the drive-through,” the report stated, noting that on busy occasions the backlog extends beyond the property boundary and onto the public road network.
The council official indicated that a site visit involving the traffic management section could be arranged to outline the operational constraints affecting the junction.
Cllr McDonnell spoke to the room, noting that the area is a “constant problem” and is “causing traffic jams”.
“If the entrance was rediverted, it would change everything dramatically and needs to be looked into,” he said.
Cllr Suzanne Doyle noted that the area has always been “problematic” and called it a “ridiculous location” for the development.
Cllr Chris Pender shared a similar sentiment, and commented on the severity of the situation.
“You can’t be that starving for a happy meal that you queue for a half an hour,” he said.
The local representative added the relevant information that after the restaurant burnt down in 2023, a new entrance was explored in the nearby Moorefield Crescent housing estate.
However, the idea was later thrown out due to local concerns of the same traffic just being directed to the residential area, putting stress on the area and creating problems for residents.
With no real solution reached, cllr McDonnell agreed to meet with the traffic management section to further assess the area.
