Residents unhappy with the lack of communications over road closure

Residents have expressed their unhappiness with a lack of communication regarding a recent road closure near Rathfarnham that has caused disruption to daily commutes.

Locals on Cruagh Road in Rathfarnham have expressed their disappointment with the council’s lack of correspondence after the collapse of a wall on the road boundary south of Cruagh cemetery.

The structure had collapsed after it sustained damage while Storm Chandra was ongoing at the end of January.

The detour now necessary to travel to Rathfarnham Village for groceries, pharmaceuticals and other things takes upwards of 40 minutes, rather than the usual 10 minutes.

One concerned resident noted that the alternate route is not up to standard and has caused concern among the community.

The concerned resident said: “There’s an 8km detour every journey they make before they start their journey.

“They have to do an 8km detour up towards Cruagh Wood and around by Killakee and down towards Stocking Lane, and that particular road actually is not in great condition.”

Several potholes that seem to be expanding on the Killakee Road are noted as some of the issues on the detour.

The darkness at this time of year is another factor to be taken into consideration when navigating the extended journey to get groceries.

The concerned resident added that those living on Cruagh Road now have a quicker commute to the likes of Enniskerry and Kiltiernan than Rathfarnham Village and Ballyboden.

Mount Venus Road, which is where motorists end up after Killakee Road, has become akin to “a busy highway” as a result of the detour.

Other road closures in the area in recent history have left a sour taste in residents’ mouths, who are eager to know a concrete timeline for the current works as soon as possible.

The concerned resident noted that it has been over a week since the council came out and inspected the road, which it was noted was after a fellow resident alerted them to the situation.

“They promise it’s going to be fixed without delay, but nothing has happened…it’s impossible to talk directly to anyone in the council.”

SDCC have appointed a contractor to carry out the repairs necessary on Cruagh Road, but a timeline is yet to be established.

SDCC stated: “On Friday, January 30, council crews carrying out a routine inspection identified significant road failure on the Cruagh Road.

“Rainwater from Storm Chandra had resulted in the retaining structure of the road to subside over a stretch of approximately 30m.

“An emergency road closure was immediately implemented to ensure the safety of the public.

“SDCC have appointed a specialist contractor to carry out the significant repairs necessary to restabilise the road. A contractor is expected to commence on site later this week.

“Works are currently estimated to last 6-8 weeks but a full timeline for the works will be established once the extent of structural repair is established.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.