Shónagh speaks up on road to nowhere that is 89 incidents and climbing

A SINN Féin TD has called for urgent action over a controversial pilot cycle lane project in south Kildare, the R448 ‘Road to Nowhere’, and brought attention to the road safety audit which was leaked over the weekend.

Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh, TD for Kildare South, raised concerns about the cycle lane between Timolin and Moone, known locally as the “road to nowhere”, during a Dáil sitting, highlighting safety fears and what she described as a lack of proper consultation with the community.

The project, delivered by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and Kildare County Council under the National Cycle Network Plan, has cost more than €2 million and includes the installation of concrete islands and hard kerbs along the route.

Deputy Ní Raghallaigh who attended a public demonstration against the scheme last summer claimed that, rather than improving safety and access, locals view the redesigned stretch of road as hazardous.

“Residents describe the road as an obstacle course and a death trap,” she said. “Crucially, members of local cycling clubs have told me they will not use the lane.” 

She told the Dáil that since last summer there have reportedly been around 80 incidents on the stretch, including two serious collisions that resulted in cyclists being hospitalised. She also said a number of vehicles have been damaged.

Since the day she brought this to the government’s attention on 30 January, nine more road incidents have been recorded by the Moone Timolin Positive Action Group.

The Sinn Féin TD criticised what she described as the absence of meaningful consultation before the pilot began and noted that no funding has yet been allocated for maintenance. 

Deputy Ní Raghallaigh said: “Can this situation be addressed before a life is lost? Will the audit be published and will an end be put to yet more waste of public money?” 

Responding, Tánaiste Simon Harris thanked the Deputy for raising the matter and said he would seek further information from the relevant authorities.

He said: “My understanding, although I need to look into it some more, is that this was a pilot, an effort to try out new things,” he said. “Encouraging people to try out new things is always important, but so too is learning lessons and answering the questions and views of communities.” 

Mr Harris said he would ask TII and the Minister for Transport to respond directly to Deputy Ní Raghallaigh regarding the concerns raised.

Moone Timolin Positive Action Group remain engaged in objection of the R448 and continue to speak out about its dangers.

In a statement before the sharing of the safety audit, the group said: “Overspending and waste of public money is one thing but putting people’s lives and livelihoods at real risk is an altogether different matter.”

The local group explained the breadth of issues on the “death trap” road, including the addition of large concrete islands, hard kerbs and plastic bollards which have become hazards for road users, and what they are calling an “obstacle course”. 

Lack of lighting one the road is also a huge issue reported by motorists, as well as narrow junctions and the cycle lanes that cyclists are refusing to use for being “too narrow, clogged with dirt and leaves and flooded in sections after rain.”

“A future fatality is certain on this stretch of road and when it does happen, it certainly cannot be called an accident. An urgent safety audit was completed last December but the results have not been published yet – what is the delay? Months of protests, local meetings, submissions to Kildare county council, TII and their like have made no difference.”