Residents are still raising concerns regarding the recently renovated Orlagh Roundabout at Scholarstown Road, which impacts on motorists accessing the M50.
South Dublin councillor Deirdre O’Donovan has said that over 5,000 people have signed a petition requesting two-lanes at the roundabout be reinstated after recent construction works have made the road only one-car wide.
The National Transport Authority and group of SDCC councillors met recently to discuss the grievances voiced by citizens.
Locals say that the roundabout is dangerous, causing traffic jams and discouraging kids from walking and cycling to school.
At the meeting, councillors were told any concerns filed before February 28 were now solved as traffic signals at the roundabout were amended.
O’Donovan says that this is “utter rubbish” and “volumes have dropped but only because local residents now avoid the area and now the Firhouse Road and Ballycullen Roads are gridlocked as a consequence.”
After months of construction, which was originally scheduled to be completed for the new school year in August, locals began to voice their grievances over the works.
Since the completion of the project, residents in the area have taken to protests and filing complaints with the NTA.
“They refuse to accept that their changes have caused financial hardship for local businesses and misery for local residents,” she says.
At the meeting the NTA have pledged funding for an independent review on the subject.
A statement made by South Dublin County Council reads: “NTA agreed to provide funding for SDCC to procure an independent Stage 4 Road Safety Audit to assess the safety of the revised junction and also to provide an assessment of the safety of the old junction. SDCC is currently in the procurement process to engage the safety auditor and hope to appoint one in the coming weeks.”
However, locals are becoming more and more frustrated as their concerns seem to be falling on deaf ears.
“What about the fact that the roundabout is at an entry point to the M50 – are we supposed to walk on the motorway?” says Maura Eaton on Facebook.
“They cannot justify slowing down a road so much that even outside of school hours people are having trouble getting to work,” says local woman Susan Keogh.
“I mean what does it say that the people living in estates surrounding this roundabout are in uproar? If it was a fantastic improvement wouldn’t they be celebrating it? Wouldn’t they be delighted if their kids were safer on the way to school. So infuriating,” adds Michelle Crossan.
At the meeting, O’Donovan says that the NTA confirmed that the roundabout beside the Templeroan housing estate is next in line for renovation. They want to encourage more walking and cycling by local school kids attending Sancta Maria College and St. Colmcilles Communuity School, she says.
It is still unclear when these works will begin but locals say they are prepared for similar delays seen on the Orlagh Roundabout.
