People say it would be a disaster for traffic in the morning if exit is closed
Residents are concerned over closure of Booth Road N7 exit
Residents in a Clondalkin neighbourhood voiced their concerns with the proposed closing of the junction at the N7 and Boot Road exit.
The location has been the scene of several crashes and is known as the spot where journalist Vernoica Guerin was murdered in 1996.
Locals in Sruleen voted to oppose the plans proposed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland at their Annual General Meeting and intend to raise it with South Dublin County Council.
Councillor William Carey was present at the meeting and echoed the calls to keep the junction open.
Cllr Carey said: “We do not wish to see that junction closed. We need to see some safety improvements installed at that junction, because it’s a very important junction.
“It’s a lifeline for this corner of Clondalkin to access…because otherwise it would send all that traffic towards the junctions of Boot Road and Newlands Cross and Boot Road and Fonthill Road.”
An extra 2000 cars would be expected to make use of alternative junctions if the N7 and Boot Road exit were to close.
Locations such as Bushfield, St John’s and the Green Isle Hotel are expected to be affected by these changes.
“That would be a disaster for traffic in the mornings, and it would obviously affect the Clondalkin Framework Plan.
“It hasn’t even been taken into consideration in the framework plan.”
The lack of a direct bus route to nearby hospitals in proposed BusConnects changes was also raised as a major concern by the residents.
The area is set to have no bus directly to either St James’s Hospital or Tallaght Hospital and residents wish to see this rectified.
“We were aware that there was a change being proposed on the 68 and 69 route, which will allow the bus to pass through and straight down Bluebell.
Because the BusConnects route takes it off Bluebell and takes it down through the Long Mile Road, which takes it away from James’s Hospital.”
Other topics discussed at the AGM include rumours concerning the ownership status of the Green Isle Hotel, bonfire worries ahead of Halloween and fallen trees in the area.
Cllr Carey informed the Sruleen residents at the meeting that, to the knowledge of the council, there were no plans to sell the local hotel.
On top of this, he stated that there were no other plans for development at that location other than upkeep of an allotment along the roadway.
The possibility of bonfires in the area this month was raised at the meeting – two occurred last year and residents noted it can be an “intimidating” event.
“It’s an issue that we need to try and challenge maybe coming up to Halloween itself…we can divert attention from the bonfires and maybe have some other activities in the area.”
Funded by The Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
