Council has another crack at Grafton Street

IT’S around 18 months since the multi-million euro repaving of Grafton Street in Dublin City Centre was completed, with promises that the overhaul would bring the street in line with the greatest shopping thoroughfares in Europe.

Alas, I see that some of the new cream granite slabs have already come a cropper and remedial work is underway.

I’m told that a section of paving at the junction with South Anne Street/Harry Street was found to have “unexpectedly deteriorated”.

A Dublin City Council spokesman said: “The new paving had become cracked and damaged, likely as a result of heavy vehicular movements at this particular junction.”

The council decided to replace the damaged area of paving and work began last Monday.

“The works will take place in stages, in order to keep disruption to a minimum for retailers, pedestrians and necessary vehicular traffic,” the spokesman said.

“Local businesses have been notified and every effort will continue to be made to minimise disruption during these essential works.”

You have to feel sorry for the retailers on Grafton Street.

Dundrum Town Centre has presented some serious competition for the street over the past number of years, while the current Luas works continue to be a headache for traders.

The €4m repaving project was a major inconvenience and dragged on for all of 2014 and into 2015.

The finished paving also drew criticism for being dull and becoming dirty too easily.

So it must have been quite a disappointment to see that the paving has already chipped in places and also to see work resume on the street.

The council says the work is scheduled to be completed within six weeks, which should mean Grafton Street is back to its best for those important last shopping weeks before Christmas.