Junction has ‘overshadowed’ positive changes to Bawnogue

“These are better crossings now because of what was done.”

The local council has stated it is open to an on-site meeting at Bawnogue between themselves and elected members to discuss the concerns raised by them.

It was requested that remedial works be carried out on kerbs at the entrance to Lealand estate in Bawnogue – a highly controversial junction since changes were implemented there last year.

South Dublin County Council noted that traffic calming measures in Bawnogue and across the county are done to improve safety and also promote active travel.

Councillor William Carey noted the struggles that large vehicles that need to make the turn at Lealand have had, citing an infamous moment late last year where a minibus was trapped on the kerb.

Cllr Carey said: “I know what we’re trying to achieve here but sometimes we’re creating a bigger problem if this is not working.

“I implore you to maybe go out and actually, when we’re looking at these projects, that we take on board the traffic levels that are required to go through those estates.”

The Clondalkin councillor also highlighted the new turn into Bawnogue Shopping Centre and a proposal to create a tighter junction at Ashwood estate in Clondalkin.

Councillor Francis Timmons stated that the junction tightening measures and the discourse around these measures has “overshadowed” positive changes to Bawnogue.

Cllr Timmons highlighted the enhancement work completed outside the local community centre and outside ACE Enterprise Centre in the area as examples of great work carried out as part of the scheme.

Timmons said: “It’s lovely work, but the people aren’t talking about that. What they’re talking about is the trucks and cars trying to turn, trucks mainly and vans.

He added that he has a large car and that, to make the turn into Lealand, he has to move into the opposite lane to do so, due to the length of the car and feels that continued instances of this manoeuvre is “an accident waiting to happen.”

Councillor Linda De Courcy stated that “things like this ruin all the good work the council does.”

Cllr De Courcy noted that the area of Bawnogue looks lovely following the enhancement works and has become a more attractive area but that traffic calming measures have dampened the image of the works.

She said: “There are people who are nervous drivers, you know, who are not very comfortable behind a car, so if they have to navigate something that they’re now finding very challenging and fear of a bin truck or a lorry or just a big van – them having to get around that at a junction like [Lealand], that’s actually stressful.

“If you’re delaying the amount of time people have to spend getting out of their estate or into their estate in the morning, afternoon or evening, that’s also stressful…

“…With all the other, you know Woodford and the other ones that are planned, we need to make sure that we don’t make it so narrow that it’s more a hazard than a help.”

Councillor Eoin O’Broin dissented from other councillors’ views and stated that the changes were not about motorists but the safety of pedestrians and nearby schools.

SDCC’s Senior Engineer for Road Maintenace Gary Walsh stated that the junctions were improved after the works and that designing the junctions with larger vehicles in mind would lead to higher speed entries from drivers.

Walsh said: “To design these junctions for larger vehicles – buses or bin trucks or delivery trucks – is to provide them with a radii…is actually just going to allow 80 per cent of the vehicles like that to enter at a much greater speed.

“Very few people talk about the safety of the junctions from the pedestrian perspective and these are better crossings now because of what was done.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.