Calls for Oylegate traffic plan after bypass opening
WITH the M11 bypass of Enniscorthy said to be well and truly on schedule to open during the summer next year, calls have been made to formulate a proper plan for Oylegate village.
Although it has been mooted that eventually the N11 village will also be bypassed, when the new road opens, it will finish just north of Oylegate at Scurlockbush, meaning that traffic coming off the motorway will all filter through the village. Fears have been expressed that this will lead to similar traffic buildups as those that are currently seen in the likes of Camolin.
Fianna Fáil TD James Browne has called on Wexford County Council to be proactive and draw up a detailed traffic and community plan for the village as a matter of urgency.
‘When the Enniscorthy bypass opens,’ he said. ‘Oylegate will become the only urban centre between Belfast and Rosslare Europort. The traffic that Ferns, Camolin and Enniscorthy witness every week will instead converge on Oylegate. A traffic and community plan needs to be put in place by the County Council.’
Deputy Browne says that the motorway traffic could have a devastating impact on the Oylegate community.
‘If lengthy tailbacks become the norm, it will almost certain- ly cut the Oylegate community in half,’ he said. ‘Access in and out of the village by local people will become extremely difficult and local businesses may suffer as a result. Equally access the community centre, primary school and the local church will become nightmarish. Wexford County Council needs to engage and consult with the Oylegate community to ensure that this nightmare does not become a reality for Oylegate residents.’