Tallaght village road entrances set for redesign to encourage footfall
By Mary Dennehy
THE Old Bawn and Greenhills road entrances to Tallaght village are being redesigned to improve both the look of the village and to encourage footfall, with contractors expected on-site by the end of the month.
Crews will be back in the village for phase 1 of the Tallaght leg of South Dublin County Council’s Village Initiative, which will see enhancement works carried out on the Greenhills Road and at the Old Bawn Road entrance to the village.
Works at the Old Bawn Road-side will stretch from the lights at the N81 up as far as the pedestrian crossing just past the turn into the Village Green, at AIB.
According to the council, works at both ends will include new paving and road surfaces, a new public lighting scheme, landscaping and other works.
A pedestrian plaza is also planned for the junction of the old Greenhills Road with the village which, now closed to motorists, runs along the side of St Mary’s Priory.
The council had hoped to be on-site by June 19 however, they have given a commitment to stall works until after community celebration Tallafest on June 24.
When contacted by The Echo, Caitriona Lambert, a senior executive engineer with the council, said that a time-frame for works had yet to be finalised with contractors.
“Works will take several weeks and we are currently working through a time-frame with contractors and hammering down a traffic management plan,” Ms Lambert said.
“We haven’t agreed a programme of works just yet, but we will be ensuring that there is minimum disruption to businesses and customers.”
She added: “We are hoping that these works will encourage more footfall into the area, make the more accessible for businesses and encourage more economic activity.
“It will also look better for visitors and customers.”
Phase 2 of the project is currently in design and will run from the shopping centre where Macari is based, up Main Street and past the Priory to the entrance of the High Street.
According to Ms Lambert: “Phase 2 is under design and won’t commence until phase 1 is fully completed due to traffic considerations.”
Council management will communicate the traffic programme and any restrictions to local councillors before works commence.
