Local Fine Gael TD, Andrew Doyle, has said that a Traffic Management Scheme for both Laragh and Glendalough are to be examined in light of the congestion that regularly occurs in the area. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has given approval to Wicklow County Council to appoint consultants to carry out design services for the area, in order to alleviate the build-up of traffic.
Deputy Doyle said, “For a long time, the build-up of traffic in the Laragh and Glendalough areas has been a real concern and one that needs to be addressed appropriately. It is because of this that the National Transport Authority has approved the appointment of a consultant to carry out a design for amendments to the existing road infrastructure, in order to effectively tackle this problem.”
“Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains National Park attract a huge number of visitors to the area every day of the year. As the Office of Public Works allow free unfettered access to the Glendalough monastic site, no official visitor numbers are properly or formally being recorded. Because of this lack of key information regarding the volume of cars and buses accessing the area, other forms of analytical data must be used in order to grasp the wider congestion problem here.”
“Once this design is drafted by the consultants, it will go for approval to the relevant parties to examine all of the proposed changes, before it goes out for planning approval. This is a long overdue but welcome development that can improve the overall experience for all who live, work and visit the beautiful, historic area.”
“I will continue to work with the Council and the NTA to move this project in Laragh and Glendalough along as swiftly as possible”, concluded Deputy Doyle.