UPDATED: Recurring flooding problem on Athy road
Flooding on Athy-Carlow Road last week
AN area of the busy main road from Athy to Carlow was left flooded and in a bad condition in the wake of heavy rainfall from Storm Chandra.
Images from the road show substantial flooding. The sides of the road around the ditch areas appear to be particularly affected, with significant amounts of water and debris visible.
The images were taken in the area close to the turn-off for Kilkea on the road.
A motorist who uses the road on a frequent basis told the Kildare Nationalist that the road is flooded every year, and that the local authorities have done nothing to resolve the situation.
The motorist told us their understanding is that “the water flows from a stream and it goes under the main Athy-Carlow road. And there's a pipe underneath the road and it is apparently not wide enough to take the deluge of water that's going across down into the Barrow.”
They added that the council had works involving a digger and a lorry at the location last week, labelling this “a waste of time” as it appears to have been ineffective, noting that the council workers did not clean up the debris at the location.
They commented further “are they (Kildare County Council) going to wait until there’s a bad crash there?”
The motorist also noted that the flooded area is quite close to a notorious stretch of road where a number of accidents have happened in the past.
A spokesperson for Kildare County Council said: “Kildare County Council is aware of the flooding issue on the main road from Athy to Carlow. To counteract this issue, the Municipal District Office has jetted the existing culvert to help get water through. This has improved the situation, but has been unable to manage the current water volume and additional measures are required.
"Over the last two years, sections of this road have been resurfaced and additional line markings have been installed. Water cuts have been opened up and drainage pipes have been jetted. Sandbags are available, if required, in the Athy Municipal District.
"The site has been added to the Emergency Works Programme for the Bridge Rehabilitation Team so that it can be addressed as part of the current priority works. A consultant has been appointed to progress the required assessment of this location, and the associated surveys are scheduled to commence in Q1, 2026.
"Due to the recent period of adverse weather, it is neither safe nor feasible to carry out the necessary inspection on site at this time. Once weather conditions permit, the inspection, survey and any remediation work will proceed without delay.”
