Plan for ‘grey way’ cycling route from Dublin to Dungarvan
PLANS for a ‘grey way’ stretching from south Dublin to Dungarvan – including along the old N11 – will be lodged this spring.
The brainchild of Fine Gael election candidate Michael D’Arcy Jnr, the 210km cycling route is planned to run along the old N11, revitalising villages including Clonroche, Camolin and Ferns.
D’Arcy Jnr, who is Minister of State at the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with special responsibility for Financial Services and Insurance, said he wants the economies of Wicklow and Wexford’s villages to benefit in the way Kilmacthomas has since the Dungarvan/ Waterford Greenway opened.
Clearance works have been under way from New Ross to Ireland’s third largest bridge, – the Red Bridge north of New Ross.
‘Over €13m in funding has been secured to connect the Waterford Greenway with New Ross. I have a proposal to use the old N11 and to reconfigure it so that a portion of it can be used for cyclists from south Dublin with a fully separated barrier delineated to the New Ross/ South East Greenway. It will connect New Ross, which would be at the centre of a greenway stretching from east Cork to south Dublin.’
He said the next step is to apply for funding for the project which, he said, would cost around €20m to complete.
‘A civil works analysis on the existing N11 is needed. Let’s use what is there and let’s improve it. It will cost €1m to carry out the analysis and around €20m to complete. It would bring on villages like Inch, Camolin and Clonroche.
‘I want to see Kilmacthomas success stories all the way through the county. This is a concept I have presented to the Minister for Transport, Shane Ross.’
D’Arcy said a strategy is also needed for the towns of Enniscorthy and New Ross.
‘ Towns like Gorey and Wexford are doing really well, but we need to look at Enniscorthy and New Ross to advance these as retail centres, with more parking, and we need to be positive and ensure the bypass doesn’t damage these towns.
‘It is my view that when you rescue a town from traffic you create opportunities,’ he said.