Residents ‘absolutely delighted’ Edmondstown Road has opened
By Aideen O'Flaherty
THE EDMONDSTOWN Road has now reopened after a months-long closure caused havoc for local residents and businesses, who had to take lengthy detours and saw a fall in their custom when the road closed last November.
A section of the Edmondstown Road, located between The Merry Ploughboy Pub and Tibradden Road, was closed by South Dublin County Council following unauthorised excavation works being carried out by a third-party.
Edmondstown Road was closed since last November
The council is currently in the process of bringing legal action against the third-party that they believe carried out the illegal excavation works, but the case was adjourned in July and there is no clear timeframe for when the legal action will reach a conclusion.
The road closure has been a point of contention in the community, where last June over 100 protestors converged on the Ballyboden roundabout, calling for the council to reopen the Edmondstown Road, before then proceeding along Scholarstown Road to the Orlagh roundabout.
The road closure had a knock-on impact on people in the area, with motorists, pedestrians and emergency service vehicles having to take 5km detours to avoid the road.
Last April, Niall Fitzharris of the Hazel House Café told The Echo that the café’s custom had dropped by 25 per cent since the road closure, while two Dublin Bus routes were rerouted.
Last month, contractors began working on the road with the works expected to be completed by late November, however the works have now finished nearly a month ahead of time.
Miriam Mulkerrin Mason, from the Reopen Edmondstown Road Now group, told The Echo: “We’re absolutely delighted.
“Once the contractors got on site they were very efficient and very professional.
“The road being reopened makes such a difference. I drop my daughter to the bus at Ballyboden, it took 20 minutes when the road was closed but now it only takes five.”
Ms Mulkerrin Mason added: “Mount Venus Road became the main artery when the Edmondstown Road closed, but it’s quite a bendy road and is most unsuitable [for that level of traffic].
“The road being open allows more space, and it’s completely alleviated the congestion on Mount Venus Road.”
